MANILA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine military said Wednesday two major joint exercises with U.S. troops will be scrapped and there will be 258 joint military exercises, including small ones, between the two sides next year.
The two scrapped war games are the Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), two naval exercises that includes territorial defense trainings, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Gen. Ricardo Visaya told reporters.
Visaya said the U.S. officials respected the AFP's proposal to reduce the exercises based on the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte after talking with U.S. Pacific Command chief Adm. Harry Harris on Tuesday in their annual Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board in Manila.
"There will only be about 258 (exercises) I think. Previously, there are about 260 plus so there is a reduction of around five," said Visaya.
Visaya also said the exercises will be focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), counter-terrorism and engineering civic actions. "So that will be in line with the pronouncement and the guidance of our president to the AFP," said VIsaya.
Asked about the defense department's earlier proposal that they want the exercises reduced from 13 to about six or seven, AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the 258 exercises that Visaya mentioned include the small ones which involve a few soldiers on both sides.
"They may be referring to the big exercises," said Padilla, referring to the 13 exercises mentioned by the Philippine defense department.
"You must understand that even if two or three Americans are coming over to talk with 15 of us, to teach them, that is still part of the list," said Padilla.
Padilla said the famous Balikatan exercises will be retained.
"It will continue but the focus of the Balikatan will be HADR or response to disasters," Padilla added.
