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Obama, Arroyo back controversial defense treaty
AFP - Saturday, March 14
WASHINGTON (AFP) - - President Barack Obama and Philippine President Gloria Arroyo on Friday both backed a mutual defense treaty which is under fire following the US refusal to hand over a marine convicted of rape.
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Obama and Arroyo spoke by telephone and also discussed climate change, education and anti-terrorism efforts, the White House said in a statement.
"The President called President Arroyo of the Philippines this morning," the statement said.
"They reaffirmed their commitment to the long-standing US-Philippines alliance, including the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which remains critical to the bilateral relationship and our strategic interests."
The Philippine government has been forced to defend the treaty, which keeps US troops under American legal jurisdiction in most cases, as anger simmered over the US embassy's refusal to hand over a marine convicted of raping a Filipino woman.
The embassy has refused to submit to a Philippine Supreme Court order to return Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith to Philippine custody.
In 2006 Smith was sentenced to 40 years for the rape of the woman, whom he met at a bar at the former US naval base in Subic Bay north of Manila.
When Smith was sent to a Philippine prison, Washington called off large-scale military exercises in protest, forcing Manila to transfer him to a detention facility inside the US embassy.
For the past two years Smith has been held by the embassy under a "temporary custodial arrangement," awaiting an appeal. But the Supreme Court told the government to regain custody of Smith while his case remains on appeal.
The Philippines is a military ally of the United States in Asia, and US forces are periodically in the insurgency-hit southern island of Mindanao for anti-terrorism training.
Washington has cautioned against reviewing the VFA while the Smith case is still unresolved.
The White House said Obama commended Arroyo over her efforts to battle terrorism and modernize the armed forces.
"The two leaders discussed the need to work closely together on the global economic crisis as well as on other areas of common concern, including climate change, education, and interfaith dialogue," the statement said.
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