OPINION | Under negotiation and evolution: The US-PH’s Mutual Defense Treaty By Renato Cruz De Castro READ:
I always call it an evolution because things are changing.” The President added that the “defense pact between the two countries is under review because the US has “many requests and proposals,” particularly in the implementation of the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement . He also revealed that the MDT review was one of the topics discussed with US Vice-President Kamala Harris, who made an official visit to the Philippines in November 2022.
President Marcos’ observation about the MDT’s evolution reflects his profound understanding of the legal basis of the Philippine-US alliance. When the MDT was signed in 1950, the agreement simply provided a venue where the two allies could consult each other in case of an armed attack against any of the parties. From a mere supplementary treaty to the 1947 Military Bases Agreement , it became the cornerstone of the two countries’ security relationship.
However, the withdrawal of American forces in 1992 transformed the 1951 MDT into a mere piece of paper. Nonetheless, Manila and Washington kept the MDT in force without any amendment. Both sides agreed to convene the Mutual Defense Board every three months as an effective mechanism for consultation on mutual security concerns. In November 1992, the MDB approved the continued conduct of joint military training, such as the annual Balikatan exercises.
Then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton upheld the US defense commitment to the Philippines amid the rising tensions between Manila and Beijing over the disputed Spratlys. She, however, could not categorically tell what the US would do if China attacked a Philippine ship or aircraft in the South China Sea. The American position on an act of armed aggression had been ambiguous, to say the least.
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