US envoy Carlson says MDT a deterrent, not automatically invoked

The Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States has "great value" in deterring conflict in the region by showing that the two countries "are strong together," US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said on Friday.

In a GMA Integrated News exclusive interview with Pia Arcangel, the US envoy said she didn't want to get into "hypotheticals" when asked what incidents would cause one side to aid another under the 1951 treaty.

Carlson said she agreed with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. that invoking the MDT with the US would not serve any purpose at present. She said the current MDT, which was signed over 72 years ago, could perfectly be relied upon to ensure the safety of the public.

"I 100% agree with what President Marcos said. The MDT is about deterring conflict, it’s about ensuring that we're strong enough that no one will, that no power, no issue will arise that will threaten our peoples," Carlson said.

Carlson said the MDT was a "perfectly capable" document that "we rely upon to ensure the safety and security of our peoples."

"The gray zone tactics are our concern but that’s not anything that we are not able to address as we work together. Remember, our militaries work together day in, day out every single day, 24/7, 365 [days] a year," Carlson said.

"We have strong cooperation and we are more capable of addressing these threats as they arise," she added.

Does an incident have to be an armed attack for the MDT to be triggered?

"I don't want to get into hypotheticals. Really the MDT is not A&B. It's not as if somehow you trip a wire, and it’s automatically invoked," Carlson said.

"These are negotiations, these are discussions that our countries, our leadership, our militaries have day in, day out," she added.

"And I think that what President Marcos said yesterday is exactly where the US is in this. The treaty has great value as a deterrent in showing that we are strong together," Carlson said.

Time-tested

Signed by Manila and Washington six years after World War II, the MDT is a defense pact that unites the two allies to help defend each other from aggression.

Under Article IV of the treaty, the Philippines and the US recognize that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of them would be dangerous to their respective peace and safety.

The two countries also declared that they would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with their constitutional processes.

Carlson said, "We believe as President Marcos has said that the MDT has stood the test of time, nimble enough to handle the situation, the current situation that we are facing. So I don't see a need to revise it. It is a living document, one that we can continue to address and assess through our day-to-day operations."

"It's not anything that we couldn't do but right now based on the current situation, we are confident that that document will stand the test of time and continue to stand the test of time," she added.

'Using our constitutions'

Asked about the clause in the MDT which provides that the US "would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes," Carlson said this merely underscores the role of democracy as well as civil-military relations.

"We have constitutional democracies. This is not about up to some rogue element in either one of our governments making a decision to invoke. This is about using our constitutions [to] uphold democratic processes, to ensure that any decisions that are made on behalf of national defense are done in accordance with the law," she said.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Marcos said that the threat in the South China Sea has grown and the Philippines must do more to defend its territory.

Still, he does not see the need to invoke the MDT unless the threat against the Philippines has become "existential."

During his trip to Australia, Marcos made a remark that the Philippines would push back against China if it ignores the country's sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

China's preparations

Carlson was also asked about Chinese President Xi Jinping's call to China's armed forces to coordinate preparations for military conflicts at sea.

She replied, "We're not being aggressive. So if they're preparing for aggression, that's their issue. But that threat is not coming from us."

Meanwhile, Carlson said energy and food security could be on the agenda in the bilateral meeting between Marcos and US President Joe Biden in Washington next month.

Although the specific topics were still being discussed, Carlson mentioned the "123 Agreement," which is a landmark deal that would allow Washington to export nuclear technology and material to Manila. — NB/VDV, GMA Integrated News