Filtered By: Topstories
News

Top-level US panel to discuss amendments to Mutual Defense Treaty —Lorenzana


A top-level team from the United States is due in the country soon to discuss amendments to the PHL-US Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1951, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday.

Lorenzana has said the he wanted the treaty amended to make it more relevant to the dispute in the South China Sea, involving the Philippines, China and several other claimant-countries in the region.

“They have been asking me our plans and their high-level delegation will be arriving here soon. It's not yet the formal talks but just maybe an audience to explore what other things that we are thinking on our side,” Lorenzana said.

“We also want to know what they are thinking on their side because the agreement is actually very short, it’s a very short document. We just want to remove the ambiguities because they (US officials) always we will involve ourselves in territorial disputes,” he added.

There have been apprehensions that the US might balk at helping the Philippines if its forces were attacked in the West Philippine Sea because the MDT only referred to “metropolitan” Philippines.

“I think that’s the origin of all the problems in the Philippines Sea when they said we are not involving ourselves in territorial disputes in West Philippine Sea or South China Sea,” Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana said the US side should be clear on the parameters of their commitment to come to the aid of the Philippines in the event of an attack from a third country.

“If they said that they are going to defend us or help us if metropolitan Philippines is attacked, what do they mean by metropolitan Philippines? Does it include Scarborough Shoal, Mischief Reef or Pag-asa,” said Lorenzana.

Lorenzana said the review would be good for the Philippines, citing last year’s near-collision between US and Chinese warships in the South China Sea.

“Suppose there will be shooting war there and they invoke the MDT, then we’re involved,” Lorenzana said.

He said the formal review could start within the year.

"The Americans are also interested," Lorenzana said. —NB, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT