End of military exercises with US?

[adroth]

From: https://www.facebook.com/mmogato/posts/10211068519216707

[adroth]

Cabinet officials deny Duterte wants end to joint PHL-US military exercises
Published September 29, 2016 2:27am
Updated September 29, 2016 4:18am
BY TINA PANGANIBAN PEREZ, GMA News

HANOI - Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. has denied hearing President Rodrigo Duterte declare the end of joint military exercises with the Philippines' treaty ally, the United States.

Yasay told reporters that what the president meant was that the Philippines would not have joint patrols with a warship of another country outside the country's territorial waters.

"We are not going to undertake any joint patrol ever in our exclusive economic zone which is outside of the 12-mile territorial limit in a joint patrol with a gray ship of another country," said Yasay, who is part of Duterte's official delegation on an official visit here.

- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/583137/news/nation/cabinet-officials-deny-duterte-wants-end-to-joint-phl-us-military-exercises#sthash.8KVvQczC.dpuf

[bustero]

With this admin, people including the embassies here are learning quickly, look beyond the soundbite at what is happening exactly on the ground.

[adroth]

Yep . . . he said it alright. Time index 33:39

https://youtu.be/h4jhXOZIXFA

[adroth]

Pieces are falling into place. First Locsin's tweet, then the third paragraph of this article (assuming this is an accurate quote . . . still need the video). This could very well be an overview of Duterte's game.

Learning from India's Nehru perhaps?

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Duterte serious about ending PH-U.S. joint exercises
By David Santos, CNN Philippines
Updated 22:04 PM PHT Fri, September 30, 2016

http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/09/30/Duterte-serious-about-ending-PH-US-joint-exercises.html

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — President Rodrigo Duterte is standing his ground: the joint war games of the Philippines and the U.S. next week will be the last, not only this year, but throughout his six-year term.

In a speech after returning from his trip to Vietnam early Friday, the President lamented the lack of military hardware transfer from the U.S. to the Philippines.

"They asked for a joint maneuvers, operations and yet there is no capability between the weapons and the armaments they use and even in the communications… They don't allow us to buy the missiles. So what would be the point?" Duterte said.

The pronouncement took the Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana by surprise.

"Oo, tuloy iyong mga war games [Yes, the war games continue]," he said on Wednesday.

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[adroth]

Defense chief says Duterte 'misinformed' on importance of PHL-US war games
Published October 5, 2016 5:19pm
By AMITA LEGASPI, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/583911/news/nation/defense-chief-says-duterte-misinformed-on-importance-of-phl-us-war-games#sthash.Ni6hKdzd.dpuf

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday said President Rodrigo Duterte may have been misinformed when he said that the country does not benefit from its joint military exercises with the United States.

"Ayon sa kanya, ang mga Kano lang ang nagbebenepisyo sa mga exercises na 'yan. Pero ayon naman sa mga nakalap ko sa mga opisyales sa General Headquarters at Army, meron naman [benepisyo sa Pilipinas]," said Lorenzana.

Duterte has openly expressed his dislike with the PHL-US military exercises, even going as far as saying that the war games being held from October 4 to 12 in different areas in the Philippines will be the last under his term.

He also threatened to scrap the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

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[adroth]

Lorenzana: Americans have been informed of end to military exercises
Published October 7, 2016 7:05pm
By VERONICA PULUMBARIT, GMA News

Defense officials of the United States have been informed about President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to end to joint military exercises between the Philippines and its treaty ally, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has said.

“The Americans, they are still hoping they can still conduct military exercises next year,” Lorenzana said in a news forum on Friday.

Lorenzana said the President, in pursuing an independent foreign policy, didn't want to be too dependent on one foreign country.

Duterte and Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. have insisted that the mandate for an independent foreign policy was enshrined in the Constitution.

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- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/584217/news/nation/lorenzana-americans-have-been-informed-of-end-to-military-exercises#sthash.PBMgv8J9.dpuf

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Defense chief: Duterte didn’t consult Cabinet on stand to cut military exercises with US
Published October 19, 2016 12:13pm
Updated October 19, 2016 1:09pm
By KATHRINA CHARMAINE ALVAREZ, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/585582/news/nation/defense-chief-duterte-didn-t-consult-cabinet-on-stand-to-cut-military-exercises-with-us

President Rodrigo Duterte did not consult officials of his Cabinet before he made statements in scrapping the Philippines’ joint military exercises with the United States, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday.

At the Commission on Appointments (CA) panel hearing on Lorenzana’s ad interim appointment, Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon asked: “You cannot deny that we are also benefiting from this (PH-US joint exercises), so why should we terminate this?”

Lorenzana then replied: “Mr. Chair, I really don’t know because the President has been issuing statements without consulting the Cabinet.”

Lorenzana said there is no final decision yet to suspend the military exercises next year. “It is still on,” he said.

He said Duterte has asked him to make a presentation to the Cabinet soon with regards to the status of military exercises, and other agreements and treaties.

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[adroth]

Duterte gives nod to PHL-US Balikatan war games, EDCA —Lorenzana
Published November 7, 2016 8:01pm
By TRISHA MACAS, GMA News

President Rodrigo Duterte has given his nod to the continuation of the Balikatan joint military exercises between Philippine and US forces, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on Monday.

Lorenzana said the continued conduct of Balikatan in the country was one of the DND's recommendations that Duterte approved.

The secretary said the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries would also continue.

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"Nag-present kami. Practically in-approve niya lahat ng recommendation," Lorenzana told reporters on Monday.

"Iyong recommendation namin is the exercises will go on except na bawasan ang major exercises na involving landing exercise," he added.

This means that the Balikatan military exercises would still push through every year with the same number of participating Americans troops of 1,000.

"'Yung mga Balikatan na lang [ang natira]. So yearly, continue nalang siya. Ang matitira is counterterrorism, tsaka 'yung humanitarian response, 'yung mga special operations na mga counterterrorism, mga engineering projects, civic action. 'Yun na lang muna," he added.

This means that the Philippines will no longer engage in the Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise (Phiblex) and the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) with US forces.

Lorenzana said the EDCA would remain.

- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/587855/news/nation/duterte-gives-nod-to-phl-us-balikatan-war-games-edca-lorenzana#sthash.ma7nG4DX.dpuf

[adroth]

AFP, US Pacific command chiefs weigh future of US-PH military ties
Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Nov 22 2016 05:07 PM

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/22/16/afp-us-pacific-command-chiefs-weigh-future-of-us-ph-military-ties

MANILA – The head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines met with the chief of the United States Pacific Command (US Pacom) on Tuesday to discuss the future of military cooperation between the two Pacific allies.

US Pacom chief Admiral Harry Harris was at the AFP headquarters to attend the annual Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) with AFP Chief of Staff Ricardo Visaya.

The annual assembly of the US and Philippine militaries defines the joint activities to be conducted in the coming year.

Among the joint exercises that the MDB-SEB facilitates are the Balikatan, the Philippine-US Amphibious Landing Exercises (Phiblex) and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), the three major war games between the Philippines and US.

The US and Philippine militaries held its meeting in the wake of President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that he would decrease the Philippines’ military engagement with its long-time ally.

Neither Visaya nor Harris agreed to be interviewed after the joint meeting.

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[Ayoshi]

Duterte to U.S.: Pay for troops to stay in PH | rappler - December 18, 2016

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte once again warned of the eventual abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, saying America should pay the Philippines should it wish for its soldiers to continue staying in the country.

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Duterte made the the statement after expressing his anger on the non-renewal of a grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US aid-giving body. The tough-talking President was unfazed, saying the Philippines will “be glad to lose it.”

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The VFA, however, is a 1999 treaty that can only be repealed by an act of Congress. It outlined guidelines for the conduct of American troops visiting the Philippines. The agreement is the foundation for military exercises between the Philippines and the US, some of which the Duterte administration has already stopped.

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Philippines may relocate naval drills with US – DND's Lorenzana
Published December 31, 2016 4:12am

MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked his defense secretary to move joint naval exercises with the United States away from the disputed South China Sea as Duterte tries to repair Manila's ties with China.

The Philippines has already decided to reduce the number of drills it holds with its long-term ally and former colonial master after Duterte announced a sudden pivot towards China.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters at a military ceremony on Friday that Duterte had advised him to seek a new location for the war games.

"We might move the naval exercises facing the South China Sea to Mindanao area to avoid annoying our neighbor, so let us be sensitive of our neighbors," he said.

- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/594217/news/nation/philippines-may-relocate-naval-drills-with-us-dnd-s-lorenzana#sthash.MN1a05Ik.dpuf

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US to upgrade Philippine military bases as Duterte reverses stance
26 January 2017

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38760942

The US will upgrade and expand its facilities on Philippine military bases this year, the Philippine defence minister has announced.

Delfin Lorenzana said President Rodrigo Duterte would honour plans for the US to build barracks, warehouses and runways in at least three locations.
The move comes despite comments from Mr Duterte last year in which he said he wanted US troops to leave his country.

Under a defence pact, the US has troops at five Philippine military bases.

The Enhanced Defence Co-operation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2014, allows the US to deploy ships, aircraft and troops at those bases and to store equipment for humanitarian and maritime operations.

"EDCA is still on," Mr Lorenzana told a news conference.

He said President Duterte had promised to honour all existing agreements with the US, a long-time ally of the Philippines.
Last week, the head of the US Senate's Armed Forces Committee, Senator John McCain, proposed $7.5bn (£6bn) in new military funding for US forces and their allies in the Asia-Pacific region.

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[adroth]

PH, U.S. set to hold 1st war games under Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte previously threatened to scrap the annual joint military exercises with the Philippines' oldest treaty ally

Carmela Fonbuena
@carmelafonbuena
Published 6:03 PM, March 30, 2017
Updated 11:16 AM, March 31, 2017

http://www.rappler.com/nation/165646-philippines-us-military-ties-joint-training?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine and US militaries are set to hold the first Balikatan war games under President Rodrigo Duterte in the summer.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Eduardo Año said the Balikatan will start in April and will be led by Lieutenant General Oscar Lactao.

Lactao is chief of the Central Command (Centcom), the military unit responsible for the Visayas. He said the activities were still being finalized.

Rappler learned that American soldiers are expected to arrive in April for outreach activities in Eastern Visayas but the war games will begin in May.

The Balikatan is the biggest of dozens of joint activities between the two allies bound by a Mutual Defense Treaty. Duterte previously threatened to scrap annual joint military exercises, but he was persuaded against it. He imposed limitations on the war games instead.

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