DND: Armed attack should not be needed for US to help in WPS

The Department of National Defense said on Tuesday that an “armed attack” against the Philippines should no longer be a prerequisite for the United States to help under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) amid the ongoing tensions at the West Philippine Sea.

“The public gets fixated on that. So, I think we should broaden the scope of the MDT to face a dynamic and cunning adversary,” said Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Chino Gaston’s “24 Oras” report, following a series of aggressive actions by China in the highly contested waters.

But for the US Indo-Pacific Command, the decades-old treaty provides for consultations during armed attack.

“Armed attack is defined diplomatically and not legally by either equal sovereign partner within the alliance and Article 3 of the treaty calls for consultations,” said the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel Paparo.

The US Coast Guard, on the other hand, was ready to help the Philippines once the MDT was invoked. The USCG also criticized the recent ramming of a Philippine boat by a Chinese vessel.

“The whole point of rules on the waters is that we don’t run into each other and so this is a clear act of bullying by one individual that wants to exert its influence over another nation,” said US Coast Guard Pacific Area Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto.

Among the plans considered is having the US and other allies escort the Philippines in its resupply missions.

“Certainly, within the context of consultation escort of one vessel to the other, is an entirely reasonable option within our mutual defense treaty,” said Paparo.

The Mutual Defense Board of the Philippines and the US will discuss later this week the Chinese aggressions and next year's Balikatan Exercises. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/DVM, GMA Integrated News