Upon his arrival from Hanoi, Vietnam on Friday, September 30 President Rodrigo Duterte clarifies that there will be no more military exercises between the Philippines and the US under his term. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte clarified that there will be no more military exercises between the US troops and Filipino counterparts in his term.
“I would not be using my entitlement as commander in chief, I’d simply say that that is the foreign policy, I do not want to tire… you know, there’s a joint maneuver operations. And yet there is no capability between the weapons and the armaments we use and even in the communication,” he told reporters in a press conference here upon his arrival from Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam Friday morning, September 30.
“There’s no capability there, it’s all soiled clothes,” Duterte said.
Duterte made the first announcement of ending the US-PH war games in his term during his meeting with the members of the Filipino community in Hanoi on Wednesday night.
“You (US) are scheduled to hold war games again which China does not want. I will serve notice to you now, this will be the last military exercise. Jointly, Philippines-US, the last one,” he said.
Other members of the Cabinet misinterpreted Duterte’s statement.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., said from what he understood, Duterte was telling that the military exercises will be the last for the year.
“Ang pagkakaintindi ko (My understanding is), it’s the last for the year…We will clarify,” said Esperon.
The Communist Party of the Philippines lauded Duterte’s declaration.
“The peace-loving and patriotic Filipino people are pleased that the GRP President has heeded their clamor to put an end to US military exercises in the Philippines, which have long violated Philippine sovereignty and served as an insult on their national dignity,” said the CPP in a statement on Thursday, September 29.
“Indeed, amidst efforts of the Duterte regime to promote an independent foreign policy, such war maneuver exercises by US troops are completely anachronistic and should be put to a permanent end,” added the CPP.
The CPP also chided Esperon’s interpretation and said that officials “must stop pulling back efforts by Duterte to end the presence of US military troops and their war machinery” in line with his efforts to pursue an independent foreign policy.
The CPP has previously called for a halt to the scheduled Philippine Amphibious Landex Exercises (Phiblex) set to be mounted on October 4-12.
“The amphibious maneuver exercises to be conducted by the US military will simulate scenarios of a sea-to-land invasion. The presence of thousands of US troops on Philippine soil who swagger with their big guns and cannons does not help promote the country’s national independence and only depicts the Philippines as a US military bulwark,” the CPP said.
At least 1,400 US servicemen are set to participate in the exercises.(davaotoday.com)
