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Saturday, September 2, 2023 Vol. 18 No. 320
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Four American lawmakers see no need to amend US-PHL defense treaty amid China’s aggression
FROM left: US Rep. Jonathan Jackson (Illinois, Dem.), US Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson, US Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Texas, Dem.), DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo, US Rep. Young Kim (California, Rep.) and US Rep. Andy Barr (Kentucky, Rep.) COURTESY DFA SECRETARY ENRIQUE MANALO’S X PAGE
W
By Rex Anthony Naval
HILE the United States government expressed its solid support for the Philippines during the August 5 blocking and water-cannoning incident in Ayungin Shoal and even invoked the possible use of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) should things go worse, some of its legislators seemed to think that the treaty is sufficient and does not need any amendments.
This stance is contrary to the views of defense experts who believe the MDT needs some upgrading to make it more adaptable to today’s complex security situations, and that it seems focused on the Pacific and may preclude the US Congress from authorizing help in case the Philippines is attacked in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The stand of these American legislators was revealed when four of them, two Republicans and two Democrats, visited the Philippines on August 24 to show their “bipartisan” support to the country in the wake of the Ayungin Shoal stand-off by Filipino supply boats and their escorts with the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia. In an earlier report published by the BusinessMirror, these American lawmakers were identified as California Rep. Young Kim (R), Illinois Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D), Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr (R) and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D). “The common theme that we heard was that the PRC [People’s Republic of China] has been aggressive, just because they can. But they have seen no pushback for their aggression or consequences of their actions. So, to that end, I think we’re here to show that we are going to meet strength with strength,” Kim, a member of the Republican Party, said in the same report. The California representative also sits as chairperson of the
subcommittee on Indo-Pacific of the US House Foreign Relations Committee. Kim also deems it imperative to show that the US and Philippine defense alliance is strong enough to counter China’s growing aggression. Kim cited the recent announcement of the US and the Philippines to increase the number of sites where US troops can have access to Philippine military camps under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), and increasing “joint patrols” in the WPS.
No need for amendments
HOWEVER, the visiting US congressional members expressed belief that the MDT does not need any amendments. They stressed that their visit to the Philippines demonstrates that the US Congress also supports the US’s decision to include the WPS in the MDT scope. Article V of the MDT states that “an armed attack on either of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack on the metropolitan territory of either of the Parties, or on the Island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific.” “This is what our presence here represents, that this is our commitment. That’s why we’ve come here in person. And we’ve taken the
IN this July 30, 2021, file phot, then Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shake hands after a bilateral meeting at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. ROLEX DELA PEÑA/POOL PHOTO VIA AP
reclamation and militarization of the Scarborough Shoal. “As we ramp up our efforts to improve our facilities in the Spratly features within Philippine continental shelf and control, the issue of alliance commitments will become even more important,” Lorenzana said in a September 2021 forum organized by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies regarding the then 70th anniversary of the Philippines-US MDT. Signed on August 30, 1951, the MDT stipulates that the Philippines and the United States would support each other if either of them were attacked by an external party. Lorenzana added that revisions and additions in the MDT and other relevant Philippines-US defense agreement to ensure we have maximum possible cooperation and interoperability to deal with so-called “gray zone” threats, namely state-sanctioned/supported maritime militia forces, that have been intimidating smaller claimant states and their fishermen in recent years. Continued on A2
time to meet with the ministers at different levels of government to show this commitment that our government has made and we will keep,” Jackson, a member of the Democratic Party, said.
3 MDT areas need updating
THEN Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said three areas in the MDT need to be updated to make it more current and relevant in the existing security situation. First is the reiteration and further clarification of the precise extent of American commitments to the Philippines under the MDT, and in accordance with the 2016 arbitral tribunal award at the Hague. Lorenzana said this is “immensely relevant” against the backdrop of rising tensions in the South China Sea, including the prospect of a Chinese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) declaration, forcible expulsion of Filipino troops stationed over the Second Thomas Shoal (part of the Philippine continental shelf), or
TOMORROW, MIMAROPA Palawan was declared insurgency-free on Friday by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in a program
marking the celebration of the National Peace Consciousness Month 2023 at the Citystate Asturias Hotel in Puerto Princesa City. The chief executive said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) made the commitment to soon expand the insurgency-free status of Palawan to the entire MIMAROPA region. Joining him in the rites were Palawan Gov. Victorino Dennis Socrates, DICT Secretary Ivan Uy, OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron. REY BANIQUET/NIB-PNA
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 56.7020 n JAPAN 0.3878 n UK 72.1476 n HK 7.2266 n CHINA 7.7791 n SINGAPORE 41.9984 n AUSTRALIA 36.7032 n EU 61.9639 n KOREA 0.0429 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.1157 Source: BSP (August 31, 2023)