Fewer Phl-US joint military exercises seen

The government will reduce the number of joint military exercises with the US, the Department of National Defense ( DND) said yesterday.

DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said this decision would be relayed to the US government during the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board ( MDB- SEB) meeting this month.

“That will definitely be part of the agenda because it has to be discussed between both parties, the US and the Philippines,” Andolong said.

He said the Philippines does not need the approval of the US, only its “concurrence.”

The MDB- SEB annual meetings, which are held alternately in Manila and Hawaii, allow the two militaries to plan exercises for each year.

On Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said President Duterte has approved his recommendations for the resumption of Balikatan, the largest war games between the two countries.

Lorenzana said Balikatan should focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

The two other exercises, the Philippine Bilateral Exercises (PHIBLEX) and the Cooperation A float Readiness( CARAT ), which separately involve Filipino and US Marines and Filipino and American sailors, respectively, have been dropped.

The trimming down of the yearly exercises with the US military is in line with Duterte’s desire to end any existing military-tomilitary activities with the US.

Andolong said with Lorenzana’s recommendations, the AFP would probably be having only about six to seven joint military exercises with the US, or maybe less.

“It would be about six or seven, or probably less or more. But definitely, less than 10,” he said.

Andolong said during the Aquino administration, the military had around 13 exercises with the US.