Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday welcomed the open support expressed by the United States for the 2016 Arbitral Award in the South China Sea and for reaffirming its commitment to invoke the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in case of an armed attack against the Philippines.

Locsin made this statement during his intervention at the Special ASEAN-US Foreign Ministers Meeting where he also lauded the United States for giving away its excess COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) vaccines to various nations worldwide, including those who did not have the means.

In citing the importance of the Arbitral Award to the region, Locsin said the ruling is binding international law and the “most authoritative” application of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the maritime entitlements of features in the South China Sea.

“As such, it contributes to the rules-based order in ASEAN and benefits all the countries that use the vital artery that is the South China Sea. The rest is bluster,” the foreign secretary said.

Locsin told his ASEAN peers that America’s commitment to protect Philippine sovereignty in the Southeast Asian context “translates to keeping the peace and maintaining stability without pointless distractions.”

On the vaccine distribution, Locsin expressed his appreciation to all the countries that helped the region, most particularly the United States which contributed billions of dollars to the Covax system, the global initiative to ensure equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines worldwide.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia were among the first ASEAN member countries to receive vaccine donations from the Covax facility.

On the situation in Myanmar, Locsin reiterated the Philippine position to uphold the five-point consensus reached during the ASEAN meeting in Jakarta last April, namely an end to the violence; constructive dialogue; designation of a Special ASEAN envoy; provision of humanitarian assistance through the AHA Centre, and inspection visits to Myanmar by the Special ASEAN envoy.

What is also imperative, according to Locsin, is the restoration of the political status prior to the February military coup.

“That means releasing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the rest of the elected opposition in jail. No way but that way. So far, nothing’s happened,” he said.