A demand by the Philippine government that the United States quadruple its aid to Manila in exchange for allowing US troops to operate in the country may have shocked Washington, but some experts think the country’s strategic position in the South China Sea justifies the price tag. Following recent talks aimed at sealing a new Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries, President Rodrigo Duterte put the US on notice that if it wanted a deal it would “have to pay”. “It would seem that it’s a bargaining tactic,” agreed Dr. Collin Koh, a Research Fellow at RSIS. Koh said that the President was serious with his demand and in need of cash to purchase new equipment for the military, particularly after a Vietnam war-era Huey helicopter crashed on February 13, killing seven soldiers.