Duterte: Balikatan may continue, but I still want foreign troops out before end of my term

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday confirmed his defense chief's earlier pronouncement that Balikatan exercises involving Filipino and American troops will continue, even as he said that he still wanted foreign military presence out of the country by the end of his term.

In a news conference in Davao City upon arriving from his two-day visit to Malaysia, Duterte said he approved Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana's proposal for the continuation of the Balikatan exercises.

"Na-firm up na nila ang arrangement. I do not want na mapahiya ang Pilipinas," Duterte said.

"Sabi ko, o sige, but this should be the last time."

In his visit to China last month, Duterte declared his desire to break with the United States, the country's longtime treaty ally.

But Lorenzana earlier this week said Duterte had approved the continuation of the war games.

"Iyong recommendation namin is the exercises will go on except na bawasan ang major exercises na involving landing exercise," he added.

This means that the Balikatan military exercises would still push through every year with the same number of participating Americans troops of 1,000.

"'Yung mga Balikatan na lang [ang natira]. So yearly, continue na lang siya. Ang matitira is counterterrorism, tsaka 'yung humanitarian response, 'yung mga special operations na mga counterterrorism, mga engineering projects, civic action. 'Yun na lang muna," he added.

Lorenzana also said the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries would continue. The agreement is an extension of a visiting forces treaty between the two countries that provides for rotational presence of American troops in the Philippines.

But in Friday's speech, Duterte insisted that he wanted all foreign troops -- American or otherwise -- out before the end of his term.

"I do not want to see foreign military troops in my country," he said. --JST, GMA News