US, Philippine forces hold combat drills to brace for crisis

More than 2,500 US and Philippine marines joined combat exercises Monday to respond to any sudden crisis in a region long on tenterhooks over South China Sea territorial disputes and increasing tensions over Taiwan. The annual military drills are the first major exercise between the longtime treaty allies under newly elected Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, military officials said. His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, was an outspoken critic of US security policies and frowned on military exercises with American forces he said could offend China. Called Kamandag, the Tagalog acronym for "Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea," the drills involve…