Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario said Saturday a greater presence of American troops in the country should be welcomed as such was allowed under the long-standing mutual defense treaty between the Philippines and the United States.
Making his first state visit to the Philippines under the Aquino administration, the Sultan of Brunei will be in Manila next week in a visit seen to boost long-standing ties between the two countries.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has criticized China for allegedly undermining the rule of law.
An amphibious dock landing ship of the United States 7th Fleet will arrive in Manila on Tuesday to participate in the US-RP Balikatan exercises, the US Embassy said.
The Philippine government remains in talks with Malaysia despite skirmishes in Sabah over the weekend, but claimed they are not allowed to interfere.
Stiff budget cuts that take effect Friday because of a political standoff over America’s burgeoning debt could crimp US military activity in the Asia-Pacific, just as Washington seeks to reassure friends and allies of its staying power in the region.
Military officials from Germany and Canada are in Manila this week to hold defense talks with officials of the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, amid the country’s efforts to build its defense posture in the disputed West Philippine Sea.
Long-time allies the United States and the Philippines on Thursday blasted North Korea’s “provocative” rocket launch as a threat to regional security and pledged to strengthen their military ties.
The government on Wednesday condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s rocket launch, debris of which fell in the sea 300 kilometers east of the Philippines.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Wednesday declared no fish, no fly, no sail in parts of Northern Luzon as North Korea launched its highly-criticized long-range rocket.
The Philippines would support Japan dropping its pacifist constitution to become a fully-fledged military force and act as a balance against a rising China, a government spokesman said Monday.
The Philippines may have to wait until April next year to deploy its second warship, even as tensions triggered by conflicting ownership claims over islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) are expected to escalate.
