US warship makes Manila port call

The US warship Charleston arrived in the country for a routine port visit, the first after the government dropped moves to terminate the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). The Charleston is on its maiden deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, along with another littoral combat ship the USS Tulsa. Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the Charleston crew remained on the ship. US Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, chief of the US Seventh Fleet, said: “We appreciate the flexibility to resupply our ships in the Philippines, so that they are ready to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.” Last month, President Duterte recalled the notice to terminate the VFA, in time for US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III’s visit.