Philippine defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday it is highly unlikely for the country to allow the US military to use it as a springboard for freedom of navigation patrols in the disputed South China Sea to avoid antagonizing China.

Instead of continuing what the US has been used to doing during the administration of the former President Benigno Aquino III, the US ships and aircrafts could use Guam and Okinawa's bases or fly from aircraft carriers to patrol the disputed waters.

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Under the administration Aquino, some US aircrafts and ships stopped in the Philippines on the way to patrolling the disputed waters to challenge China's territorial claims.

But when new President Rodrigo Duterte took his office in June, a lot of changes happened as well as surprising announcements including his steps to strengthen Philippines' ties with China and become hostile toward the Obama administration after White House raised its concerns over Duterte's war on illegal drugs.

When asked if the Philippines will continue to host US ships and aircrafts patrolling the disputed waters, Lorenzana's said Duterte will not likely allow that to happen "to avoid any provocative actions that can escalate tensions in the South China Sea. It's unlikely," the PhilStar reported. 

"We'll avoid that for the meantime," he added. "Anyway, the US can fly over there coming from other bases."

US officials, on the other hand, did not comment immediately; however, last month, Adm. Harry Harris, the commander of US forces in the Pacific, said that despite Duterte's decision, military cooperation with Manila has not changed.

Meanwhile, the US-Philippine annual combat exercises have also been reduced and will be redesigned to focus on disaster response and humanitarian missions. Among the maneuvers to be dropped starting next year are amphibious landing exercises and beach raids aimed at enhancing the country's territorial defense, military officials said.

The October meeting of  Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing resulted to China allowing Filipinos to fish at the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Philippine coast guard ships have also restarted patrolling at the shoal.

China took control of the rich fishing area in 2012 after a tense standoff with the Philippine government ships.

Aside from the easing of tensions at Scarborough, Chinese coast guard ships are no longer blocking Philippine resupply ships from Second Thomas Shoal, farther south in the Spratlys, Lorenzana said.

TagsSouth China Sea, china, Philippines, Duterte, South China Sea Territorial Dispute, America