PH, US Defense Chiefs Meet to Further Enhance Military Alliance Amid European Conflict

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and his US counterpart Lloyd J. Austin III met at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to further beef up the military alliance between the Philippines and the US.

The bilateral meeting between the two defense chiefs was focused on further strengthening the Mutual Defense Treaty and the development of bilateral defense guidelines.

Moreover, maritime cooperation was also a focus of the meeting as both countries discussed enhancing the Philippine-United States maritime coordination and cooperation through the completion of a bilateral maritime framework.

The defense chiefs also discussed the further enhancement of information sharing.

Moreover, a statement released by the US Department of Defense said that both countries also discussed the “importance of acting in unison to condemn Russian aggression and acting in solidarity with Ukraine,” which further strengthens the Philippine stand on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Secretary Austin Also emphasized the ironclad commitment of the US to Philippine security, saying that the commitment of the US to the Mutual Defense Treaty extends to the Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft in the South China Sea.

“I know that our teams have been meeting frequently … over the past year, and they’ve done a great deal to advance some of the forward-looking alliance initiatives that you and I have discussed,” Austin told Lorenzana.

Austin also pointed to the size of the joint U.S.-Philippine Exercise Balikatan recently concluded in April, which was the first since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as an “example of the vitality of the alliance between the nations.”

“Despite the pandemic, this was one of the largest of these exercises ever, including exercising a new range of capabilities,” Austin said.

“And that just underscores our shared commitment to this alliance, and that commitment is ironclad,” Austin added. (GFB)