Duterte to scrap future war games with US

Philippine President Rodrigo

the United States, his country’s long-standing ally, that joint exercises of Filipino and US troops next week will be the last such drills.

He told the Filipino community in Hanoi late on Wednesday night that he will maintain the military alliance with the US because of the

added next week’s exercises will proceed only because he did not want to embarrass his defense secretary.

visit to meet Vietnam’s leaders that he wants to establish new trade and commercial alliances with

“I would serve notice to you now that this will be the last military exercise,” he said. “Jointly, Philippines-US, the last one.”

“I will maintain the military alliance because there is an RP-US pact which our countries signed in

the Republic of the Philippines. “I will establish new alliances for

Briefly

trade and commerce and you are scheduled to hold war games nes, which follow the larger annual tionship with the US since he won

said he is charting a foreign policy not dependent on Washington.

Earlier this month, he said he would not allow government forces to conduct joint patrols of dis-

Sea with foreign powers, apparently scrapping a deal his predecessor reached with the US military earlier this year.

He has said he wants US military forces out of the southern Philippines and blamed Washington for

ering acquiring military equip-