PHL, US defense chiefs to discuss maritime security, terrorism in Hawaii meet

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is set to fly to Honolulu, Hawaii, at the end of the month to meet with US Defense Chief Ashton Carter and other ASEAN defense ministers to discuss ways on addressing maritime security and terrorism.

"At the end of this month, end September, I will be traveling to Honolulu to be able speak with Secretary Carter of US and the other defense ministers from ASEAN," Lorenzana told reporters in Maguindanao on Monday.

"We are going to discuss the security in the South China Sea, security against terrorism and other problems, general problems concerning our security," he added without elaborating.

The Philippines and China have been engaged in a territorial dispute over the resource-rich West Philippine Sea, with Manila claiming the West Philippine Sea is part of its exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China, on the other hand, is asserting its historical claim over the area through the so-called "nine-dash line," which almost covers the entire South China Sea.

A recent ruling by an international arbrital court invalidated China's nine-dash line.

PHL-US ties "rock solid"

Lorenzana also said the Philippines' defense relations with the US remains "rock solid" despite the rift between President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Barack Obama over human rights issues.

"It's strong.. It's rock solid as the Americans described our defense relation or relationship," said Lorenzana. "US is our ally, military ally because of the Mutual Defense Treaty which was signed in  1950s."

However, Lorenzana said that the Duterte administration is open to having more military allies.

"What the President said is that we are going to also talk with others who can give us quality equipment to strengthen our defense and we will do that. But we are going to still have our treaty alliance with the United States," he said. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KBK, GMA News