Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he is now considering reviewing the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States, citing its relevance to the present setting.
Lorenzana made the statement more than a month after President Duterte raised concern about the growing tension between the United States and China, saying the Philippines has a military alliance with the US.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Lorenzana said that maybe, the time has come for the MDT to be revisited, given that its provisions were made in 1951. He said he wants to find out if the MDT is worth keeping as the document was created 67 years ago.
“That was done in 1951. And when that was done in 1951 there was this raging Cold War. Do we still have a Cold War today? Is it still relevant to our security. Baka hindi na,” he said yesterday.
“Let us look at it dispassionately without considering past ties considering future ties. Dispassionately. Ito bang treaty na ito still serve our interest as a nation?” he asked.
“Hindi naman sinasabing strengthen natin para tulungan tayo pag may gulo. Sino ba ang kalaban natin? Are we still hoping somebody will attack us here in the Philippines? I don’t think so,” he added.
Lorenzana said he has directed their lawyers to start looking into the treaty, to see if the MDT should be maintained, strengthened, or scrapped totally.
He said he will also personally read the treaty in its entirety again to see for himself.
Lorenzana said that one of the factors he is looking into is how the MDT is helping the Philippines position itself in the changing security structure in Southeast Asia.
“As a Secretary of Defense, tinitignan ko kasi ‘yan eh. In what’s happening the region. Where do we put ourselves in this changing security structure na nangyayari ngayon dito. So, let’s see.” (Argyll Geducos)