The bilateral relations of the Philippines and United States is stronger now more than ever, according to the two countries’ defense chiefs.
This was highlighted during the meeting of Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., officer in charge of the Department of National Defense (DND), and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Retreat and 9th ADMM-Plus in Cambodia on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
“The top two officials reaffirmed the Philippines-US alliance to be on a very strong footing as manifested in the recent bilateral meeting between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and US Vice President Kamala Harris in Manila,” said DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong.
Harris paid a courtesy call on Marcos last Monday as part of her three-day working visit to the Philippines.
Marcos had said Harris’ visit was a testament to the strong ties of the two countries although he emphasized that their relationship must evolve in order to respond to the evolving and changing nature of geopolitics and regional dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, Faustino and Austin also discussed current security outlook in the Indo-Pacific region and bilateral initiatives “to deepen further defense partnership” between the Philippines and US.
This was the second time that Faustino and Austin met.
On Sept, 29, the two defense ministers met in Hawaii where they reaffirmed their commitment to the ironclad alliance of their countries, and discussed ways to strengthen the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).
Earlier in that same month, they also held a phone conversation where they talked about opportunities to further modernize and strengthen the two countries’ cooperation.
The relationship between the Philippines and United States is perceived to be improving after it turned sour under the previous Duterte administration, which developed warm ties with China and Russia.