David Larter

Marine Corps Times

In the wake of allegations that a Marine killed a Philippine national in an Olongapo hotel room on Oct. 12, the 7th Fleet is canceling liberty port calls to the Philippines in an effort to avoid further tensions with the strategic U.S. ally.

The head of U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Samuel Locklear, canceled liberty for U.S. service members in country, said Army Maj. David Eastburn, PACOM spokesman. That prompted 7th Fleet officials to look for ports elsewhere for ships where liberty was the sole purpose of their visit, Eastburn said.

Ships pulling in for a working port call, like repairs, maintenance or refueling, are still a go, but sailors shouldn't plan any day trips to Manila. There is no timeline for liberty being restored, Eastburn said.

Nine U.S. ships due to dock at Subic Bay through the rest of 2014 have canceled their visits, according to an Agence France-Presse report, which quoted a Philippine port official.

A 7th Fleet spokeswoman said they haven't officially canceled any port visits, noting that the oceanographic survey ship Mary Sears had just pulled into Subic Bay. Philippine media reported the Mary Sears is in the Philippines for emergency repairs

Instead, future port visits are "pending," she said.

The U.S. military's presence in the Philippines is sensitive after a Marine allegedly strangled Philippine national Jennifer Laude, a transgender woman, leaving her body in the bathroom of a hotel room.

Marine Pfc. Joseph Pemberton, the suspect in Laude's murder, is being held in the headquarters of the Philippine military while prosecutors determine whether to press charges, AFP reported.

The killing infuriated many Filipinos, who have called for their government to scrap the newly minted Visiting Forces Agreement, a major foreign policy victory for the Obama administration, which rekindled military ties with the country after decades of frosty relations.