The United States, under the administration of President Joe Biden, has reaffirmed its commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines after Filipino defense officials raised serious concerns over China’s authorization for its Coast Guard to fire on vessels even in contested maritime territories.
The reaffirmation of commitment by the US to its two most important defense and security agreements with the Philippines was made by US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III during his telephone conversation with Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana on Wednesday, Manila time.
“Secretary Austin reaffirmed commitment to the Philippines-US alliance through the Mutual Defense Treaty, and the Agreement Regarding the Treatment of US Armed Forces Visiting the Philippines [VFA],” the Department of National Defense said in a news statement released to the media on Wednesday.
The US assurance came following Lorenzana’s expression of concern over a recent China Coast Guard law, which authorizes Chinese Coast Guard ships to fire at vessels even in maritime waters that are subjects of its expansive claims, including the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Lorenzana earlier said the issuance of the edict may probably raise the specter war, or at the least, a “miscalculation” in the South China Sea (SCS) that may trigger a maritime incident. Such concerns was echoed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lt. General Cirilito Sobejana on Tuesday along with other military officials.
“That is very alarming. I should say it’s a very irresponsible statement because our countrymen are not going to that area, the disputed area, to wage a war, but to earn a living,” Sobejana stressed.
He, nevertheless, said he would order an increased deployment, visibility and presence naval assets in the WPS as a measure to protect Filipino fishermen.
During their conversation, Austin and Lorenzana also discussed other security matters, including the situation in WPS and the SCS, where China maintain a strong presence of its ships, including vessels manned by its maritime militias.
The two officials looked into the ongoing capability program of the AFP, which the US is currently supporting through the continued transfer and turnover of military equipment.
Several weeks ago, the US turned over military drones, precision guided munitions and even bunker busting missiles to the AFP. The transfer followed the arrival of some of the procured Black Hawk helicopters from the Polish subsidiary of American defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Days ago, President Duterte announced that the government will procure additional 15 Black Hawks for the Air Force to pave the way for the phase out of its fleet of aging and crash-prone Huey helicopters.
The Philippine defense department said Austin and Lorenzana agreed to sustain their level of communication and heighten the cooperation between the two countries.