WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A joint US-Philippine amphibious landing exercise has been canceled in 2017 following a call by Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for an end to the maneuvers, according to published reports on Monday.
"In 2017, PHIBLEX will not be executed," Marine Capt. Rachel Nolan, a liaison officer at the US Embassy in Manila said in an email, as quoted by the Stars and Stripes newspaper.
28 November 2016, 14:48 GMT
Uncertainty clouded the Philippine Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) in October 2016, following blunt and often profane denunciations of the United States and the US-Philippine military alliance by Duterte.
October’s exercise brought Marines from Okinawa’s 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade to the Philippines to practice amphibious landings and live-fire training with Philippine troops.
