Philippines and Britain discuss troop agreement as regional tensions rise

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MANILA -Britain has formally expressed its intention to discuss a Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines, Manila’s Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Tuesday, as Manila deepens its security ties with Western allies amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

Teodoro said Britain’s Minister of State for Defence, Lord Vernon Coaker, presented a letter from British Defence Secretary John Healey during a meeting in Manila, conveying the country’s intent to forge an agreement allowing the two nations to deploy troops on each other’s soil, making it easier for their militaries to work together.

The Department of National Defense said in a separate statement that both sides also exchanged views on the regional security situation, including developments in the South China Sea, where Philippines and China have sparred repeatedly over disputed areas.

The proposed troop agreement would mirror similar arrangements the Philippines has agreed with the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, reflecting shared security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region and Manila’s shift toward strengthening external defence.

Speaking at a congressional budget hearing, Teodoro said the Philippine Navy will receive the largest budget increase among the military services next year, with proposed funding rising by 8.3 billion pesos ($140.48 million) or 16.3%. This year’s navy budget stood at 51 billion Philippine pesos.

The budget boost will help prepare for the arrival of eight newly ordered frigates and fund the construction of new shipyard and dockyard facilities, Teodoro said. 

($1 = 56.9480 Philippine pesos)

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by David Stanway)