 U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on the presidential or at the presidential palace in Manila on Thursday to shore up relations, particularly over the precarious state of an agreement governing the presence of U.S. troops in the country. Duterte last year said he was canceling the visiting forces agreement and that the two countries signed in 1998 but later suspended the cancellation. The VFA provides rules for the rotation of thousands of U.S. troops in and out of the Philippines for war drills and exercises. It has assumed additional importance as the United States and its allies contend with China's assertiveness in the region. Austin is expected to meet with his Filipino counterpart, Deflin Lorenzana, on Friday. With fresh news updates