MANILAThe Philippines has rescinded its decision to scrap a key defence pact that allows American troops to hold military exercises in the country.
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said in a Twitter post late on Tuesday (June 2) that he has informed the US embassy in Manila that the Philippines was "suspending" for six months its decision to abrogate its Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with Washington "in light of political and other developments in the region".
He did not elaborate on what these developments were in his note to the embassy.
"The note is self-explanatory and doesn't require comment from me," he said in his tweet, which included a picture of the note.
The US embassy said in its response it welcomed Manila's decision.
"Our longstanding alliance has benefited both countries, and we look forward to continued close security and defence cooperation with the Philippines," it said.
Signed in 1998, the VFA gave legal cover to thousands of US troops who were rotated in the Philippines for military exercises and humanitarian assistance operations.
President Rodrigo Duterte threatened in January to repeal the pact over a US decision to deny entry to his political ally Ronald dela Rosa.
Mr Dela Rosa was a police chief who served as an enforcer of Mr Duterte's deadly anti-drugs crackdown in 2016. Thousands of mostly poor suspects were killed under the campaign, alarming the US and other Western governments.
Mr Duterte's allies had tried to dissuade him from terminating the VFA, saying a review would be a more appropriate response.
Mr Locsin had said previously that abrogating the accord would undermine the Philippines' security and foster aggression in the disputed South China Sea.
It would mean scrapping more than 300 joint activities with US forces "which the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies need to enhance their capabilities in countering threats to national security", he said.
American forces have provided intelligence, training and aid that allowed the Philippines to deal with human trafficking, cyber attacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism.
US military presence has also served as a deterrent to aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea, said Mr Locsin.
The Philippines had also considered reviewing a separate defence pact signed in 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
That agreement allowed the extended stay of US forces and authorised them to build and maintain barracks and warehouses and store defence equipment and weapons inside five designated Philippine military camps.
"This is great news," said Representative Rufino Biazon, vice-chair of the defence and security committee of the House of Representatives.