War games slated in C. Luzon, S. Tagalog

Joint military exercises with the United States, the first since the ratification of the controversial Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in May last year, will be held in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog next month, a source from the VFA Task Force said.

The source said air and ground exercises will be conducted at the former US military bases at Clark Field in Pampanga and Subic in Olongapo City and at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

On the other hand, simulated naval war games will be held at Sangley Point in Cavite and in the Western Command in Palawan.

The Philippines will host some 2,000 American troops during the two-week military exercises. The last large-scale joint exercises between the two countries were held in 1995.

Chinese authorities earlier expressed apprehension that war games would be held in disputed areas in the South China Sea.

Sun Heping, political counselor of the Chinese Embassy, said the Philippine government gave assurance that China would be notified prior to the start of the war games.