By Carlito Pablo
A petition has been filed before the House of Commons for a review of a military agreement between the Philippines and Canada.
Opened for signatures on February 18, 2026, the petition calls for a “transparent” assessment by the Government of Canada of the “human rights, corruption, and governance implications” of the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement.
The SOVFA, which was signed by the defence ministers of both nations on November 2, 2025, allows for the presence of military forces in the territory of each country.
The call for a review of SOVFA comes as Canada prepares for a major presence in the annual military exercises between the Philippines and the U.S. called Balikatan.
From an observer country in the Balikatan exercises, Canada will reportedly field the third largest contingent in this year’s wargames.
For Balikatan 2026, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said that Canada plans to deploy more than 600 personnel and assets.
“This year, Canada will be the third largest participant at Balikatan,” Hartman said in a February 19, 2026 report by the state-owned Philippine News Agency.
“This is from three and a half years ago, when we didn’t even have a resident defense attaché,” Hartman also said.
The petition for a parliamentary review of the SOVFA was filed by Devon Tremain, a resident of Burnaby, B.C. It was authorized by Jenny Kwan, Member of Parliament for Vancouver East.
“By entering into the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, the Government of Canada risks binding our country’s reputation to a military establishment accused of corruption and systemic human rights violations including extra-judicial killings of journalists, union members, and Indigenous peoples…,” the petition states.
Further, “As of November 2025, the Philippines holds 696 prisoners of conscience who are subjected to human rights violations and inhumane prison conditions.”
The petition reminds that Canada has “policies and commitments that uphold the protection of human rights, gender equality, transparency, and accountability, including the Voices at Risk Guidelines and the Feminist International Assistance Policy”.
Hence, “Continued Canadian support and cooperation with the Government of the Philippines contributes to more human rights violations which undermines Canada’s stated commitments to peace, democracy, and the protection of human rights worldwide.”
In addition to a review of the SOVFA, the petition also calls on the Canadian government to “suspend or reject the agreement as it cannot guarantee accountability, civilian oversight, and compliance with Canada’s human rights obligations”.
It likewise urges the “immediate release of prisoners of conscience in the Philippines”, and an end to the “criminalization of human rights defenders”.
The petition will be open for signatures until June 18, 2026.
Canada and the Philippines in recent years have enhanced their military cooperation.
Geopolitical analyst Don McLain Gill wrote in an article for the Vancouver-based think-tank Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) that Ottawa’s security cooperation with Manila could serve as a foundation for Canada’s strategic plan in the Indo-Pacific region.
Gill is a Filipino and works as a lecturer at the department of international studies of the De La Salle University in the Philippines.
“When Canada launched its Indo-Pacific Strategy in November 2022, it aimed to bolster its diplomatic presence and contribute to the region’s security, sustainability, and growth by co-operating with like-minded partners,” Gill wrote.
“One of the strategy’s undeniable successes is the exponential growth of Canada’s security partnership with the Philippines. It is vital for the newly elected government in Ottawa to invest more in this relationship to better position it as a fulcrum for Canada’s Indo-Pacific vision.”
APF Canada sought opinions from experts like Gill following the 2025 federal election, which saw the Liberal Party winning a fourth mandate.
In an introductory note to the experts’ views published on April 30, 2025, Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president for research and strategy with APF Canada, noted that Canada “stands at a pivotal juncture for its Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS)”.
Going back to Balikatan 2026, the Philippine News Agency in a November 6, 2025 report quoted Canadian envoy Hartman saying that this year’s exercises will include more than 500 joint military activities.
The SOVFA, Hartman said in the PNA report, will also pave the way for Canada’s sustained participation in the joint maritime cooperation activities in the West Philippine Sea.
The PNA also reported that the SOVFA will enter into force once endorsed and ratified by the Philippine Senate.
“In our system,” Hartman said, “it’s already been signed by our Governor General through an order in Council. So, it gets publicized and it’ll sit in our public debate for 21 days in our parliament, and then it’s in effect from our vantage.”
ReyFort Media 
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