Amid disputes over the South China Sea or the West Philippines Sea, the Philippines is counting on the US in terms of upholding the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, in accordance with international law.
On top of that, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wednesday that the Philippines also relies on the Western power to help the country to "pursue measures to de-escalate tensions while promoting an international law-based order in the region."
"Beyond the initiatives to strengthen our individual and collective defense capabilities, however, is our overriding desire for peace, without which we would not be able to make progress in our ambitious socio-economic agenda," Manalo said at a Mangrove Forum at the US Embassy in Manila."We count on the United States to help support us in upholding our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea which are based on international law," he added.
For its part, the US, through US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, assured the country of its support for its claim over the the contested waters, which is based on the 2016 arbitral ruling that turned in favor of the Philippines.
"As our ally, we support President Marcos' statement that the Philippines will not cede 'even one square inch of territory," she said in the same forum.
"In the South China Sea, as allies, we stand together to oppose attempts by those who seek to advance unlawful maritime claims in the Philippine exclusive economic zone or on its continental shelf," she added.
Carlson also reiterated US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken's pronouncement that an armed attack on the Philippine military or public vessels and aircraft would invoke commitments of the US under the Mutual Defense Treaty.