Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. spoke over the phone with United States Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Holy Wednesday, March 27, as they reiterated their commitment to the two countries' Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in the wake of a water cannon attack launched by China against Philippine troops in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

According to a readout released by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the US defense chief reaffirmed the "ironclad" commitment of Washington to Manila following China's dangerous obstruction of a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal last March 23.

"He emphasized U.S. support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and reiterated that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to both countries' armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft—including those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in the Pacific, to include the South China Sea," the DoD statement read.

The MDT was signed by the governments of the Philippines and US in 1951, and requires both countries to support each other if either of them is attacked by a third-party nation.

During the March 23 resupply mission, China Coast Guard vessels fired water cannon against Unaizah May 4, a civilian supply vessel that was supposed to bring food and other provisions to Filipino troops on board the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

At least three Filipino military personnel were hurt in the incident and the Unaizah May 4 sustained severe damage. Fortunately, the food and other provisions were successfully brought to BRP Sierra Madre through the use of rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs).

Make no mistake, it was not the first time that Chinese vessels conducted trained their hoses and blasted jets of water against the Philippine suply boats in the west Philippine Sea. It has happened several times in the past years but recent occurrences were notable as these resulted in multiple injuries among Filipino troops.

Meanwhile, Teodoro and Austin also agreed to bolster bilateral and multilateral cooperation with "like-minded partners" in the South China Sea and committed to accelerate a number of bilateral initiatives "to enhance information-sharing, interoperability, and capability enhancements" for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Next month, the AFP and US Armed Forces will hold the 39th iteration of the Balikatan Exercise which will include the participation of around 16,000 military personnel from both countries.

Aside from that, Teodoro and Austin also discussed the importance of "preserving the rights of all nations to fly, sail, and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows."

"They highlighted that the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal Ruling is final and binding on the Parties and called on the PRC [People's Republic of China' to abide by its obligations under international law," the DoD noted.

The arbitral ruling favored the Philippines claims in the South China Sea and invalidated China's claims that were anchored on the so-called nine-dash line, a set of line segments supposedly defining the areas and features that form part of their territory. The ruling was rejected by China.

The officials also discussed "historic momentum" in US-Philippine defense ties and reaffirmed their mutual commitment to strengthening the two countries' alliance "which has upheld peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region for over seventy years."

They also underscored both countries' shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific grounded in transparency, the rule of law, respect for sovereignty, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.