The Philippines will reach out to establish military alliances with several countries under the Duterte administration, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said Wednesday. AdvertisementsEsperon made the stance during the turnover of 5,000 AK-74 guns and 20 military trucks from Russia to the Philippines. “With Russia’s port call and donation, we get exposure to technology and other techniques. Esperon, however, clarified that Russia’s turnover of weaponry and other military equipment to the Philippine military does not diminish the importance of the longstanding military alliance between the United States and the Philippines. Manila has three military agreements with Washington: the 1951 Mutual Defense Agreement (MDT), the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) inked in February 2016.

Source: Manila Times October 25, 2017 15:56 UTC