The United States government yesterday reiterated its “absolute” and “ironclad” commitment to its alliance with the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty.
“We have a strong and robust security alliance with the Philippines, and the United States stands by its Mutual Defense Treaty obligations,” US Embassy Press Attache Molly Koscina said on the mounting calls for a review of the 68-year-old defense pact.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana broached the idea of a possible review to determine if the Philippines should maintain, strengthen, or scrap the treaty made during the Cold War period in 1951.
Lorenzana, however, clarified that the Philippines has been benefiting from the MDT, the Visiting Forces Agreement, and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II said a “performance audit” on the MDT is “long overdue.”
Honasan, chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Defense, explained that the performance audit should be focused not only on the treaty but also on all security, economic, bilateral, and multilateral arrangements “in the light of the changing security, political, economic, social, domestic, and global landscape.” (Roy C. Mabasa)
