Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte suspended the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement for another six months to allow both sides to address his concerns.
Talks between Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and the Philippine defense and foreign secretaries centered on "deepening our alliance and supporting a free and open South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region."
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said a 1951 treaty with the US needed to be re-examined to clear ambiguities that could cause chaos and confusion during a crisis
