Cohen visit stirs debate in Manila

Cohen visit stirs debate in Manila

MANILA (Reuters): U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen flew to the Philippines yesterday for security talks, reviving an old controversy that had dogged relations between the United States and its former colony.

At the top of Cohen's agenda is an unratified agreement between the Manila and Washington governments that would pave the way for the return of U.S. forces, though just for exercises, six years after Filipinos forced them to leave the country.

In an ironic turn, the two top Philippine officials Cohen is counting on to make the agreement effective -- new President Joseph Estrada and defense chief Orlando Mercado -- helped lead the campaign to oust U.S. troops from the country in 1992.

Estrada and Mercado have modified their stand and pledged to campaign for ratification of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) by the Philippine Senate, which is needed to put it into force.