The Armed Forces of the Philippines said Thursday it did not make any commitment to remove the United States’ Typhon missile system from the country.

AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system is being used in the military’s training, which focuses on the orientation and familiarization of the capability.

 “Wala tayong commitment na ganun. Itong Typhon missile na ito, for the side of the AFP, ang gamit nito is for our exercises, for training purposes,” Padilla told reporters in a virtual interview on Thursday. 

Philippines to train with US Typhon missile system in February

“Ang presence ng Typhon missile is for us to rehearse how to use it, how to deploy it. Tinitignan natin ang logistical trains, probability of transfers from one location to the other, and ang paggamit ng capabiltity,” she continued.

“Ang ating statement dito, as long as we are using it for training purposes and the commitment to use is for our exercises, nandiyan siya. Tuluy-tuloy naman ang ating exercises with that because ang activities natin ay sunud-sunod din,” the official added.

In a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed China’s “firm opposition” once more on the presence of the Typhon missile system in the Philippines. 

Guo claimed that the Philippines “has gone back on its words again and again.” 

“The Philippines has explained itself multiple times regarding the introduction of the Typhon system, pledging that the deployment was ‘temporary’ and that the system will be shipped out of the country after relevant military exercises,” Guo claimed.

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“However, it has breached such commitments, claiming they would acquire its own mid-range system and field these deterrent capabilities, and linking the South China Sea issue with the Typhon system,” he added.

Beijing earlier called on Manila to pull out the missile launchers after they were moved to another location. 

But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. offered Beijing a deal, saying he is willing to pull out the Typhon missile in the country if China will stop its acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea.