US affirms commitment to stand by PH in protecting its rights under MDT

Visiting United States National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien on Monday reiterated Washington’s commitment to stand with the Philippines in protecting its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, citing its obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) of 1951. 

“We stand with the Philippines in protecting your sovereign rights, your offshore resources, and all of those rights that are consistent with international law,” O’Brien said in his remarks during the formal turnover of US defense guided missiles to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. at the DFA main office in Pasay City.

O’Brien said the US position in the South China Sea was clearly spelled out in a policy statement made by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo in February this year, saying that “any armed attack on the Philippine Armed Forces, aircraft or public vessels in the South China Sea, will trigger our mutual defense obligations.”

The top-ranking US official also maintained that the US has aligned itself with the July 12, 2016 ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague that favorably ruled on the Philippine petition to scrap China’s outrageous nine-dash line claim. 

“And I just want to say that those resources belong to the children and grandchildren of the people here. They belong to the Philippine people.  They don’t belong to some other country that just because they might, they may be big, and they may be bigger than the Philippines, they can come take away and convert the resources of the Philippine people. That’s just wrong,” he added.

O’Brien said the United States also welcomes the statements made by President Duterte and Secretary Pompeo at the US-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit, calling on all nations, including a “certain large nation in the neighborhood,” to respect international law in the South China Sea.

“Our nations share a deep interest in upholding the rule of law and the rules-based international order that is underwritten during peace in Asia - peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region since the end of the Second World War,” he said.  

On President Duterte’s recent decision to extend for another six months the Visiting Forces Agreement, O’Brien said President Donald J. Trump welcomes such a move as they look forward to continuing their close cooperation in combatting terrorism, most particularly in Mindanao. 

“President Trump is standing with President Duterte as we combat ISIS here in Southeast Asia,” O’Brien said.

On November 11, 2020, Duterte, through DFA Secretary Locsin, extended the suspension of the VFA abrogation by another six months, saying it would enable both sides to find a “more enhanced, mutually beneficial, mutually agreeable, and more effective and lasting arrangement” on how to move forward in the mutual defense of the two countries.