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Duterte gives nod to joint drills with US
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PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the continuation of joint military exercises with United States forces, but the number of drills will be reduced and will exclude mock assaults, defense officials said yesterday.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Duterte also allowed the government to proceed with a 2014 defense accord with Washington permitting US forces to be stationed temporarily at five designated Philippine military camps, along with their warships and planes.
Duterte previously threatened to end military exercises with the US and the presence of American forces in the country in about two years, saying the Philippines’ still ill-equipped troops have not benefited from America’s superior military.
Lorenzana said he and other security officials explained to the president at a Cabinet meeting on Monday how the Philippines benefits from the annual maneuvers.
“We presented to him the long years of bilateral relationship,” Lorenzana said. “The Armed Forces of the Philippines enumerated the benefits obtained from these exercises.”
Defense department public affairs chief Arsenio Andolong said the changes in annual joint maneuvers will be discussed with American military officials at a November 22 meeting in Manila.
Duterte ordered assault exercises to be discontinued, the defense department said.
Andolong said two naval exercises involving amphibious beach landing and boat raids may be stopped. A large-scale exercise called Balikatan or shoulder to shoulder will be retained but will shift its focus to disaster response, humanitarian aid and counter terrorism.
“We still have to discuss with the Americans what form this will take as it will be modified,” Lorenzana said.
Duterte has opposed combat exercises. While wanting to scale back engagements with the US military, he has reached out to China and Russia for possible deals, including the acquisition of arms and defense assets.
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