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Palace: PH-US ties not affected by Iran allowing PH safe passage in Strait of Hormuz
Malacañang said Monday that Iran's decision to allow energy supplies headed for the Philippines to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz would not affect the country's relations with the United States, its long-time ally.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said she was able to talk to Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro regarding the matter, saying that the government has no issue with this.
''Wala po tayong nakikitang magiging isyu sa ating kaibigan na bansa na US dahil alam naman po nila ang sitwasyon ngayon at hinahalintulad po ito sa pag-angkat ng oil mula sa Russia,'' Castro said.
(We don't see any issue as regards our ties with the US because the latter knows the situation and this was all about our importation of oil from Russia.)
The Philippines-US formal diplomatic relations spans decades since its formal establishment on July 4, 1946.
Manila and Washington have an existing Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) signed in 1952. Under the agreement, each party "recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the Parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes."
There's an ongoing conflict between the US and Iran after the latter was attacked on February 28. Those strikes triggered Iranian attacks on Israel, US bases and the Gulf states, while opening a new front in Lebanon.
To recall, the Philippines was granted safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz—through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flow—following a phone conversation between Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said this safe passage was part of the government's risk management initiatives. However, it would not immediately bring down domestic fuel prices
Based on Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) trading in the past four days (March 30 to April 2), an oil industry source said Friday that retail diesel prices could increase by P17 to P19 per liter next week.
These projections could push the price of regular diesel to as much as P165 and premium diesel past P170 a liter. —KG, GMA News
