“We do not go into a patrol or join any other army from now because I do not want trouble”, Duterte said.
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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said this week he wants USA special operators to leave Mindanao island, where they are assisting in the fight against Islamist extremists. “I will not allow it because I do not want my country to be involved in a hostile act”, Duterte said in a speech during the 48th anniversary of the 250th Philippine Airlift Wing at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. “I just want to patrol our territorial waters”.
TOI notes that, not only are Asian nations with territorial claims in the South China Sea anxious they could find themselves on the business end of those carefully-rehearsed Sino-Russian island-seizing missions, but the United States is now experiencing tense relations with both China and Russia and has been seeking to increase its own naval presence in the region.
A Philippines special envoy, former president Fidel Ramos, said during a visit to Hong Kong last month that Manila wanted formal negotiations with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation.
“Territory is limited to the 12-mile limit”.
The ties with Philippines are at a turning point, China said, adding that it expects Manila to handle the conflicts appropriately.
Like other security pronouncements, Duterte did not provide details, but his rejection for joint patrols apparently goes against such an arrangement announced in April by the US and the Philippine defense chiefs.
America’s strategy for confronting China in the South China Sea is threatening to unravel as the new leader of a key frontline state backs away from military cooperation – including joint naval patrols – with the U.S.
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U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that these patrols “contribute to the safety and security of the region’s waters”.
