DFA's Lazaro: PH will sustain momentum of treaty alliance with US

New Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro made her first major appearance Thursday before top diplomats and defense and security officials in a United States Independence Day celebration, where she underscored the importance of sustaining the US-Philippines treaty alliance.

Lazaro highlighted the "enduring treaty alliance" of the Philippines and America, noting that both nations must continue their "robust and dynamic engagement across all areas of cooperation."

"We are eager to sustain the momentum in our bilateral relations," Lazaro said at the diplomatic reception commemorating the 249th anniversary of US independence.

"The last three years have opened new avenues for deeper strategic collaboration, not only the political, security and defense sectors, but also in trade, investments and developments for our alliance to be strong," Lazaro said.

To be strong politically, however, Lazaro said the two allies "must also be strong economically, underpinned by our shared commitment to the peace, prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific region."

US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson stressed that Washington's alliance with Manila is "ironclad" and that America is committed to supporting the Philippine military's modernization while stepping up cooperation on maritime security, trade and cybersecurity.

"Our alliance is stronger than ever," Carlson said.

"Our nations are bound by more than history; we are partners in forging a safe, strong, and prosperous future—defending freedom of navigation, fostering economic opportunity, promoting peace through strength, and advancing cybersecurity," she added.

Foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or QUAD met in Washington, D.C. early this week, where they reaffirmed their commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific" amid the increasingly assertive posturing by China in the two disputed waters.

Without naming China, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, India's S. Jaishankar, Japan's Takeshi Iwaya, and Australia's Penny Wong expressed "strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," in a statement backed by Manila.

China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety and has deployed much larger fleets of coast guard, navy and suspected maritime militia ships in the past years to assert that extensive claim against smaller claimant states, namely the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

The international community feared that the worsening incidents in the waters could spark a major armed confrontation involving the US, a defense treaty ally of the Philippines.

"We are working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific," Carlson said. "We continue to invest in infrastructure, build capabilities, and enhance interoperability—including through Balikatan and other military exercises that have grown in complexity and size."

The United States has repeatedly said it would come to the Philippines' aid if Filipino forces, ships or aircraft comes under attack anywhere in South China Sea under a 1951 mutual defense treaty.

Lazaro said the alliance has never been stronger as demonstrated by the series of high-level engagements between Manila and Washington less than six months since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, the staging of large-scale military exercises with increased participation from like-minded countries, and major economic investments, such as the US funding for the construction of the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway that will link three major ports in Luzon and decongest traffic at the Port of Manila.

"This flurry of activities are a testament to the strength and depth of the relations," Lazaro said. 

"Sustaining this momentum will not only reinforce the strength of our alliance and the maturity of our institutional linkages, but also ensure that our partnership remains relevant and responsive to current and emerging challenges," the DFA chief added.

Lazaro said the Philippines and the US have also expanded and bolstered cooperation in the maritime domain, science and technology, democracy, cyber digital policy, energy, aviation, and outer space.

As the Philippines assumes chairmanship of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year, Lazaro said the country would push for deeper cooperation between the 10-member regional bloc and the US on maritime cooperation, transnational crime, counterterrorism, and digital economy. — VDV, GMA Integrated News