More than 6,000 Filipino and American troops on Monday began annual military exercises in the Philippines, DPA reported. About 4,500 US personnel are joining 2,300 Filipino troops in the two-week Balikatan, or "shoulder-to-shoulder," exercises in various venues of the Philippines, including the western province of Palawan near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Twenty representatives from South-East Asian countries and other partners such as Japan, Australia and South Korea were also participating in the war games, said Philippine military chief General Jessie Dellosa.
