Duterte tours Australian warship in Manila

The Australian warship Her Majesty’s Australian Ship Adelaide docked at Manila Bay.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday visited an Australian warship docked at Manila Bay.

Duterte boarded the Her Majesty’s Australian Ship Adelaide, the largest ship ever built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), around 4:45 p.m.

The President was accompanied by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Eduardo Año, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go.

“I am pleased to welcome President Duterte to the HMAS Adelaide. Both our countries have a strategic interest in ensuring maritime security and maintaining a stable region,” Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely said.

The Australian ambassador and Assistant Defense Attaché Gideon Scrimgwour welcomed the President and his Cabinet officials.

Duterte and his officials were given a tour of the ship by Commander Joint Task Group, Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2017 Captain Jonatahn Earley. Earley discusses the ship’s Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) capabilities.

The Australian warship Her Majesty’s Australian Ship Adelaide docked at Manila Bay.

HMAS Adelaide is in Manila for a five-day goodwill visit as part of a regional deployment by the Australian Defense Force to strengthen ties with the region.

It was the ship’s maiden deployment to Southeast Asia.

The Philippines and Australia have a long-standing defense cooperation, which include counter-terrorism, maritime security and capability development assistance to the AFP. /je