Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Friday that he informed the United States military that plans for joint patrols and naval maneuvers in the contested South China Sea have been suspended.
The defense chief also said once the Philippines secures surveillance drones in the near future, US troops involved in operating the intelligence-gathering devices against Muslim insurgents would be requested to leave the southern part of the country.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also wants to end all military exercises that are conducted each year. He plans to scale back from what he believes as over dependence on the US.
Duterte’s relationship with the United States, the country’s longtime ally, has been shaky ever since he took office in June. He has been expressing in speeches his displeasure over the Obama administration’s comments on his bloody war against drugs. Now, he will be putting the relationship to test further by acting on his pronouncement to cut back cooperation with the US military in the Philippines.
The complicated period afflicting the relationship between the two countries cannot be denied. Nevertheless, Lorenzana believes that those ties would bounce back in due course.
Agreements with other allies unaffected
Duterte’s disagreements with Washington will not affect relations with other US allies. Japan, for example, has signed a deal to lease five small surveillance planes. Japan has also pledged to deliver patrol ships for the Philippine coast guard.
Lorenzana said the planes may arrive as early as next month and would boost the country’s territorial defense.
Duterte has reached out to Russia and China while holding a critical position on US security policies. Lorenzana said Duterte has ordered him to go to Moscow and Beijing. He plans to discuss what the Philippines can secure in terms of defense equipment.
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