MANILA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. and Philippine marines and sailors kicked off on Tuesday what could be their last joint military exercises in the Philippines' main Luzon island and Palawan.
The U.S. Embassy in Manila said last month that at least 1,400 U.S. marines based in Okinawa, Japan, and 500 Philippine troops will participate in this year's Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise codenamed PHIBLEX 33.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said this year's PHIBLEX, which wraps up on Oct. 12, will be the last joint war games that will take place during his term which ends in June 2022. PHIBLEX is the first and perhaps the last joint military exercises between the two treaty allies during Duterte's six-year term.
Duterte lamented the U.S does not share military technology with the Philippines. "They asked for a joint maneuvers, operations, and yet there is no capability between the weapons and the armaments they use, and even the communications," he told a news conference on Sept. 30 in Davao City.
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