Philippine president tells US to forget about defense pact

‘Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he does not want to see any foreign troops in his country, and that the United States should “forget” a defense pact with Manila.
Duterte told reporters on Tuesday at the airport in the capital of Manila before leaving for Japan that if he stayed longer, he would not sign the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the US.
As a counter to China in the South China Sea, the US and the Philippines enacted the EDCA in 2014, giving the US military rotational access to five bases in the Philippines.
Last month, President Duterte promised he would review the defense pact, and called for the withdrawal of US Special Forces from southern Philippines.’
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