1,400 US troops PH-bound for military drills

From the Manila Bulletin (Sep 25): 1,400 US troops PH-bound for military drills

Amid President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s bombastic comments against the United States, approximately 1,400 American troops are scheduled to arrive in the country next month to join their Filipino counterparts in another round of bilateral military drills.

MB FILE – Soldiers await deployment to the war zone against the Abu Sayyaf Group at a military airstrip in Jolo, Sulu, last Thursday. (EPA) mb.com.ph

PH-US armed forces will hold the annual Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) Oct. 4-12 in multiple locations in Luzon and Palawan, the US Embassy said in a statement.

It will be the first large-scale joint military exercise between the two countries under the Duterte administration.

This comes amid President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s repeated remarks critical of U.S. policies.

Early this month, the 71-year-old maverick called for the pullout of American troops in Mindanao “to give space for peace talks between the government and Moro rebels.”

This was followed by another statement where Duterte said he does not want the Philippine Navy to engage in joint naval patrols with the U.S. and other foreign nations in international seas to avoid getting involved in any hostile act.

http://www.mb.com.ph/1400-us-troops-ph-bound-for-military-drills/