UPDATE 2-Trump says he does not mind if Philippines cuts military pact with U.S.

(Adds quotes, background, bylines)
By Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump
said on Wednesday he did not mind Philippines President Rodrigo
Duterte's decision to end a decades-old military agreement with
the United States, a position at odds with that of his defense
secretary who viewed the move with dismay.
Duterte on Tuesday announced termination of the
two-decade-old Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). U.S. Defense
Secretary Mark Esper called the decision "unfortunate" as
Washington and its allies press China to abide by "international
rules" in Asia. L4N2AB0ZL
The U.S. embassy in Manila called it "a serious step with
significant implications." Duterte's decision, sparked by the
revocation of a U.S. visa held by a former police chief who led
Duterte's bloody war on drugs, takes legal effect in 180 days
and U.S. officials have expressed hope it can be reversed or
delayed.
"I don't really mind if they would like to do that, it will
save a lot of money," Trump told reporters at the White House
when asked about Duterte's move and whether anything could be
done to get him to reconsider. "My views are different from
others," he added.
Trump has frequently expressed a desire to bring U.S.
military forces home from decades-long deployments abroad and
has strong-armed some allies into paying more for the right to
U.S. defense.
Trump said the United States had helped the Philippines
defeat Islamic State militants. He said he had "a very good"
relationship with Duterte and added: "we'll see what happens."
Duterte's decision could complicate U.S. military interests
in the broader Asia-Pacific region as China's ambitions rise.
Some Filipino senators quickly sought to block the move, arguing
Duterte had no right to unilaterally scrap international pacts
the country's senate had ratified.
The VFA is important to the overall U.S.-Philippines
alliance and sets out rules for U.S. soldiers operating in the
Philippines, a former U.S. territory. Washington has called the
relationship "ironclad," despite Duterte's complaints that
include allegations of U.S. hypocrisy and ill treatment.
Ending the VFA complicates Washington's efforts to maintain
an Asia-Pacific troop presence amid friction over the presence
of U.S. personnel in Japan and South Korea and security concerns
about China and North Korea.
Esper referred to the period before Duterte's decision takes
effect when speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
"One hundred and eighty days. We've got to work through it,
and we'll just take a deep breath and take it one day at a time
... I don't get too excited about these things. We've got a
process we have to work through."
Some lawmakers in the Philippines are concerned that without
the VFA, two other pacts that make up the long-standing U.S.
alliance with Manila would be irrelevant, namely the 2014
Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement made under the Obama
administration, and a 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty.
Supporters of the agreements say they have helped deter
Chinese militarization in the South China Sea and $1.3 billion
of U.S. defense assistance since 1998 has been vital in boosting
the capabilities of under-resourced Philippine forces.