US-Philippines Ties: Largest 'shoulder-to-shoulder' military drills under Duterte administration

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02:18

Annual military exercises between the Philippines and the United States - dubbed Balikatan or "shoulder-to-shoulder" – are underway. Some 8,000 troops are participating this year, the largest contingent since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016. CGTN's Barnaby Lo has more.

The scenario. Enemy combatants have invaded an island. Combined American and Filipino troops emerge from the water to surround the enemies and regain control of the island. The simulation is part of annual Philippine-US military drills dubbed Balikatan, which means shoulder to shoulder. This amphibious landing exercise was held on Wednesday along the South China Sea coast.

BARNABY LO ZAMBALES, PHILIPPINES "It doesn't matter how they look or where they're being held. Officials from both the Philippine and US sides say that this year's Balikatan exercises are not in response to any activity of any country, or any specific issue."

LT. GEN. LAWRENCE NICHOLSON US MARINES "Why are you doing this exercise, is it because of nation A, B, or C? Our answer is no. We're doing it because it's good for all participants. The Indo-Pacific region is a dynamic region; there's always things changing. But what is stable is this exercise."

Despite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-American rhetoric, the military alliance between his country and the United States has remained strong. During Balikatan's opening ceremony on Monday, Philippine Armed Forces Chief, General Carlito Galvez, cited the US military's role in defeating Islamic State-linked militants in Malawi last year.

LT. GEN. CARLITO GALVEZ PHILIPPINE ARMED FORCES CHIEF "In our fight to liberate Marawi from Daesh-inspired terrorists, the United States continuously provided real-time intelligence that allowed our troops to effectively isolate and destroy the enemy."

Officials say the focus of this year's training is counter terrorism. And with eight thousand troupe participating, it is by far the biggest Balikatan under the Duterte administration. Barnaby Lo, CGTN.