PH-US joint patrols could begin in Q3 2023 —Amb. Romualdez

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel "Babe" Romualdez said Monday that joint patrols between Manila and Washington in the West Philippine Sea could begin in the third quarter of this year.

"We're already at a... I would call continuing discussions on this joint patrol with the United States. I could guess, an estimate would be no later than the third quarter of this year. We should have that in place," Romualdez said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

To recall, the Philippines and the United States decided to expand cooperation on maritime security through but not limited to joint patrols.

In a fact sheet released by the White House, it was stated that under deepening interoperability, the goal is to expand cooperation on maritime security and maritime domain awareness, including through the continued conduct of combined maritime activities, including but not limited to joint patrol.

In March, the Philippine government said it is in the process of "crafting guidelines" on maritime activities, including joint patrols with allies.

Meanwhile, Romualdez said the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty is now clearer following the meeting between Marcos and US President Joe Biden.

"I think that this time, the Mutual Defense Treaty is not only clear but it also sets what are the parameters on how we will proceed in terms of invoking it," he said.

Both countries had emphasized the need to reaffirm commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty to address both current and emerging threats.

Marcos said the decades-old treaty should evolve amid the developing security situation in the region.

Meanwhile, Romualdez described Marcos' trip to the US as "near perfect" despite a couple of meetings that did not happen because of a tight schedule.

"I would like to say it's near perfect because everything we've planned for that trip came into fruition, so to speak," Romualdez said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News