The suspension of all military activities in the Philippines, including a large training exercise which was supposed to be held this month, will last until the issue is resolved, said Lt. Col. Lloyd Holloway, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command.

Affected is the annual joint military exercise known as Balikatan, which has involved U.S. Army, Army National Guard and Pacific Army Reserve troops, Marines, naval and Air Force personnel since 1981, said John Fairbank, Pacific Army forces spokesman. This year's joint training exercise was supposed to have been held this month with about 2,000 U.S. and Philippine forces evenly split between the two countries, according to an Army spokesman.

It was to be one of the biggest training exercises with the Philippines, with a naval amphibious landing scheduled at the completion of the maneuvers.

At issue is immunity, known as status of forces agreement in the military, which protects U.S. troops from being punished by host nation courts for illegal acts commited in that country.

In December, a Philippine court ruled that the Philippines would no longer extend diplomatic immunity for the U.S. sailors, soldiers and airmen who would participate in any military exercise.

Filipino officials want U.S. troops to answer to Filipino law if they ever return to the island nation. In 1992, the U.S. pulled its forces out of Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base, then the largest overseas U.S. naval and air bases.

But the U.S. Pacific Fleet still made port calls at Subic Bay; half a dozen naval vessels pulled in there last year. But those port calls have been suspended, as well as other temporary visits by military and defense department personnel, until the problem is resolved.

Navy personnel have been told they can travel to the Philippines only as "private citizens with no legal protection." But a Defense Department memo says exceptions can be approved on a case by case basis through the U.S. Embassy in Manila.