Babe Romualdez says Marcos has no objection to PH-US MDT but wants clarification

There are some points that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to clarify as regards the PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty when he meets US President Joe Biden, Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez has said.

According to JP Soriano's report on "24 Oras", Romualdez said Marcos had no objection to any provision of the MDT.

“He wants to make everything really precise and perfect. Ayaw niya yung (He doesn’t want) neither here nor there," Romualdez said of the President.

"He would like to always clarify and make sure everything is exactly what it says, perhaps that’s what’s in his mind,” he added.

“‘Yung sinasabi ni Presidente na 'evolve’. Nage-evolve na nga ngayon actually, so parang any kind of agreement when you look at it and review it,” Romualdez said.

(As for his ‘evolve’ remarks, the MDT is evolving now. So it seems just like any kind of agreement when you look at it and review it.)

Marcos on Monday cited the need for the MDT to "evolve" as he said that the 70-year-accord is among the topics that will be discussed in his official working visit to Washington in May.

Romualdez said there was an existing mechanism to update the treaty and it can be done through the mutual defense board, which also adjusted the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

He also said the MDT clarified Washington’s position as regards safeguarding Manila’s sovereignty from external forces.

“That I think is one main clear provision that is now klarong-klaro na talaga ngayon. Kasi noon maraming mga salita na sabi nila na pag merong mutual defense treaty tayo agrabyado tayo dahil ang United States kailangan nila ng congressional act. Ang lumalabas ngayon hindi na ganon,” said Romualdez.

(That I think is one main clear provision that is very clear. Before, some people would argue that we’re at the losing end of the MDT because the US would still need a Congressional Act. It has changed now.)

“Ang US hindi na sila manghihingi pa ng approval, so to speak, from their Congress. 'Yun ang pinakamaganda ngayong nangyari the evolvement of our Mutual Defense Treaty,” he said. “Lahat ‘yan nakalagay na yan sa addendum or agreements.”

(The US government doesn’t need the approval of Congress, so to speak. That’s the best evolution that happened to the MDT. All of that was included in the addendum or agreements.)

For her part, former National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos said any change in the MDT should undergo a proper process.

“Maraming mga tukod diyan 'yung mutual defense treaty. (The MDT has a lot of facets.) If there would be a fundamental change in the mutual defense treaty because it is a treaty, that has to be agreed upon and ratified by the Senate of both countries. The Senate of the Philippines, and the Senate of the United States,” said Carlos.

“Sobrang madugo nyan, madugong madugo 'yan. Nakita mo yung VFA ang taga-tagal, e agreement lang yun. Di ba executive agreement lang yun?” she added.

(That would be laborious. Just like what happened to the VFA.)

Meanwhile, security analyst Professor Renato de Castro believes Marcos doesn’t intend to change the MDT but said the President should clarify Washington’s stand on Beijing’s threats in the West Philippine Sea and Manila’s cybersecurity.

Castro also said among the possible changes to the VFA would be the guidelines for the hearings of US military personnel who were involved in crimes in the country.

“Probably he’s asking for greater clarification the same way Secretary Lorenzana raised it,” he said.

“In terms of Chinese gray zone operations, cybersecurity, food security, and other areas where both countries could cooperate. Probably the wider notion of security from what we call traditional security to possibly human security,” he added. —NB, GMA Integrated News