France and Philippines eye a security pact to allow joint military combat exercises

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — France and the Philippines are condiering a defense pact that would allow them to send military forces to each other's territory for joint exercises, the Philippine defense chief said Saturday after holding talks with his French counterpart. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in a joint press conference with French Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu that they were seeking authorization from their heads of state to begin negotiations. "We intend to take concrete steps into leveling up and making more comprehensive our defense cooperation, principally by working to get authorization from our respective heads of state…