ZAMBOANGA CITY: Philippine military officials were silent over reports that a small group of US troops deployed to Zamboanga City have started packing up after President Rodrigo Duterte canceled a joint patrol in the South China Sea and scrapped future war games between the two countries. American soldiers are still maintaining a camp inside the Western Mindanao Command, which was previously used as headquarters of the defunct Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City, Basilan and Sulu. Security has always been tight in American military camps in Zamboanga, Basilan and Sulu and even Filipino generals cannot go inside these installations without prior clearance with the US Embassy in Manila. A US C-17 Globemaster cargo plane was reported to have landed at the local airport where American troops loaded their equipment. Martin was killed during rescue operations in Zamboanga del Norte province while his wife was shot and wounded in the leg.

Source: Manila Times October 09, 2016 14:03 UTC