US, Philippines to resume defence projects under military pact

Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left) met with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin in Washington on Sept 10, 2021. - AFP

MANILA, Sept 12 (Bloomberg): The US and the Philippines will resume defence projects after the South-East Asian nation agreed to keep a military pact that President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to scrap, allowing both sides to boost longstanding alliance in the region.

Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana met with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin in Washington on Sept 10 where the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance relations after Duterte in July agreed to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement, according to a statement on Saturday (Sept 11).