AFP, PNP waiting Palace’s order on war games

MANILA, Philippines - Both the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have yet to receive official word from Malacañang on President Duterte’s earlier pronouncement to stop holding war games with the US.

The Philippine and US governments are supposed to meet as earlier scheduled next month to plan for further exercises in the country, including the yearly Balikatan involving Philippine and US armed forces, unit-to-unit drills and marine landing practice.

“The defense department has not received instructions from the President,” Defense Public Affairs Service chief Arsenio Andolong said. “Although he has said it in public, we operate always on the basis of written instructions to make it formal.”

Andolong said the defense department thus could not issue any directive to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to once and for all forgo the conduct of planning for next year’s joint military drills.

Speaking at last Wednesday’s commission of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s brand new patrol ship, which the Aquino government had acquired from Japan, Duterte said he had instructed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to stop all preparations for future joint military drills with the US.

He made this declaration before foreign guests, including a US defense attaché, a US navy officer and a US Coast Guard official.

The President has repeatedly expressed disapproval on holding further joint war games with the US, including the recently concluded joint Amphibious Landing Exercises, where some 2,000 Filipino and US marines and sailors participated.

Andolong said in line with the existing Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines, an official written order from the Philippine defense department would serve as notice to its US counterpart through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“We are part of that, but it is a diplomatic issue and it is within the official function of DFA,” Andolong said. 

The AFP, meanwhile, has declined to comment on the issue, pending such official directive.

“Insofar as the AFP is concerned, we have not yet received any instruction or orders to that effect,” Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP Public Affairs Office chief, said. “Pending such issuance, we will defer our comments as it remains hypothetical as of this date.”

Meanwhile, the US embassy in Manila said yesterday better preparedness to respond to disasters and security threats in the region is just one of the benefits of joint military exercises between Philippine and US soldiers.