The Philippines and United States defense chiefs agreed to "restart joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea to help address these (security) challenges"

This was announced by the United States Department of Defense in a press release issued on Thursday.

The two countries agreed to put off these patrols during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, the predecessor to current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

No date was mentioned as to when the joint patrols will be held.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez agreed to restart the conduct of joint maritime patrols during their bilateral meeting in Camp Aguinaldo.

Also discussed during their meeting is the full implementation of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.

In a press briefing, Austin announced the four new additional EDCA sites approved by Marcos.

Both defense secretaries did not provide specific details about the four additional location but Galvez noted consultation with the local government should be conducted before the new sites will be announced. Robina Asido/DMS