Pres. Duterte to meet US Sec. of State today
President Rodrigo R. Duterte will meet with U.S. Department of State Secretary John Kerry in Malacañang tomorrow, July 26 (Wednesday), in a bid to further bolster ties between the two countries. Kerry will be one of the first few US administration officials to meet with Duterte. Photo collage courtesy of NewsCentral.ph His visit comes as the Supreme Court (SC) ruled with finality the constitutionality of the 2014 PH-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The agreement allows increased U.S. military presence in the country and gives American forces access to five Philippine military bases- the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia airport in Cagayan de Oro, and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu. Meanwhile, in a news conference in Vientiane, Laos yesterday, Kerry said he would encourage Duterte to engage in dialogue and negotiations with China. Before coming to the Philippines, [...]