Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the continuance of joint military drills with the US military, officials say.
According to Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Duterte has reconsidered his position.
He initially voiced outright opposition to the joint military exercises, but has instead laid down the conditions under which the drills would be permitted.
Lorenzana said the president ordered the cancellation of assault exercises and some bilateral drills, but said other joint trainings and exercises with various countries would continue as scheduled.
Earlier, Duterte staunchly opposed drills with the US or any foreign forces, saying their presence within the territory would be a violation of the nation’s sovereignty.
But the president apparently relented after hearing the arguments from security officials such as Lorenzana.
“The president has approved practically all our recommendations,” Lorenzana said after a cabinet meeting held on Monday, November 7, during which the Armed Forces of the Philippines presented the various security engagements between the US and Manila.
Among the recommendations presented by the Department of National Defence to the President were the refocusing of bilateral activities to include bilateral humanitarian and disaster response and counter-terrorism exercises as well as giving focus on non-traditional security concerns such as counter-narcotics and transnational crimes.
The defence chief likewise confirmed that Duterte has also backed the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), an executive pact signed in 2014 between the Philippines and the US to advance the implementation of the Mutual Defence Agreement which was signed in 1951.
Foremost among the features of the EDCA is that it allows US forces to make use of certain Philippine military bases for its operations which include providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the event of disasters.
Last July the Philippine Supreme Court affirmed as constitutional the EDCA, which seeks to develop the capability of US and local forces to interoperability and capacity-building for external defence, maritime security, maritime domain awareness and humanitarian and disaster response.
Senator Richard Gordon had earlier warned Duterte against shelving a defence pact with the US, as said such an action could upset the military power dynamics of in the region.
“I don’t think it would be wise at the moment to cancel the EDCA with the United States,” the senior senator said in the face of threats made by the President to junk the pact.
Gordon said Duterte’s earlier stance against the US forces may be more easily said than done given the fragile power balance in the region.
Gordon said junking EDCA, “could encourage China to make more serious manoeuvres to attain their goal of gaining control over the disputed West Philippine Sea or South China Sea as it would weaken the US’ influence in Asia.
