The Philippines wants to accelerate a defence pact with US for troops and bases that was earlier stalled, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. bolsters security ties with a treaty ally amid rising tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Arsenio Andolong, spokesman for the Department of National Defense, said the Southeast Asian nation is working with the US to speed up projects under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement that was shelved under former President Rodrigo Duterte. First signed in 2014, the pact allows the US to rotate in troops for prolonged stays as well as build and operate facilities on its bases.
