Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s statements to let US troops out of the country, the joint military exercises of American and Philippine troops pursued starting Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the Philippines and the United States launched military exercises participated by the troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Americans.
This is against the backdrop of the unusual threat of President Rodrigo Duterte of American forces being ejected from the Philippines.
“For 2016, our mission is to integrate the use of strategic sea vessels and other non-traditional platforms,” Philippine Marine Corps Commandant Maj. Gen. Andre Costales Jr. said.
Last week, Duterte announced his decision to end joint drills with the United States in a bid to appease China amid hopes to develop closer trade ties with Beijing, while the tension in the South China Sea is continuing.
Duterte has sustained a verbal assault on the United States since he took office on June 30 in response to criticism of his deadly war on crime where thousands of drug users and pushers have already died.
In recent days, Duterte has warned the war games will be the last of his six-year term, and threatened to scrap a defense pact implemented by his predecessor, former President Benigno S. Aquino III that was meant to see more US troops in the Philippines to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea.
“Better think twice now because I will be asking you to leave the Philippines altogether,” Duterte said on Sunday in his latest outburst against the Americans, full of typical invective.
“The Americans, I don’t like them… they are reprimanding me in public. So I say: ‘Screw you, (–foul word(s) removed–) you’,” he said, while signalling again that he wanted to forge closer alliances with China and Russia.
Last week while he was in an official visit in Vietnam, Duterte, 71, also claimed the CIA was plotting to assassinate him.
His statement came after he branded US President Barack Obama a “son of a whore” in response to being told the US president planned to raise human rights concerns over his drug war during the ASEAN Summit in Laos.