DURING the US Independence Day celebrations recently, US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires John Law was quoted as saying his country and the Philippines were working 'very hard' to reach a 'satisfactory arrangement' to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) alive.

I'd say the US is working 'harder' - what with its incessant and tantalizing efforts to make it 'difficult' for us to finally reject the US' neglect of what was expected of it under the Mutual Defense Treaty, coupled with the sudden urge to donate to us Covid-19 vaccines.