Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte suspended the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement for another six months to allow both sides to address his concerns.
Complaints for murder and attempted murder were filed against the five, as well as several other suspected Abu Sayyaf fighters who remain at large, for their alleged role in the Jan. 27 attack at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral.
The barren shoal is on the eastern edge of the disputed Spratly archipelago where tensions have run high in recent years after China built seven disputed reefs into man-made islands and reportedly installed missile defense systems.