'Business as usual' for AFP amid US aid freeze

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday that its military engagements with the United States would continue uninterrupted despite Washington’s temporary suspension of foreign assistance.

“For the side of the AFP, we have longstanding partnerships with the US, and we continue with our partnership programs moving forward,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said in a press briefing.

“At this point, in terms of our preparations, it's still business as usual… So far, there's no dialing down at this point,” she added.

Padilla deferred questions on policy implications to “higher authorities.”

US President Donald Trump recently ordered a 90-day review to ensure that foreign aid allocations align with his administration’s foreign policy. This directive led the US State Department to issue a "stop-work" order for all foreign assistance.

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, is closely monitoring developments regarding the potential freeze on US foreign assistance, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

In July last year, the US, under its previous administration, pledged $500 million in new funding for the Philippines’ military and coast guard.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. highlighted that this aid was intended to bolster the Philippines’ capacity to deter unlawful aggression. 

The $500 million package, equivalent to approximately P29.32 billion, includes over $128 million earmarked for infrastructure projects under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the two nations.

The Philippines and the US regularly hold joint military exercises, reinforcing their defense cooperation and strategic partnership. — DVM, GMA Integrated News