Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday said there was a need for a comprehensive review of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States.
In his commentary during the 70th anniversary of the Philippines-US mutual defense treaty, Lorenzana said he was seeking an “upgrade and update” of the treaty.
“Do we still need the MDT? Should we amend it? Or should we introduce new guidelines to make it more relevant and robust in the 21st century” Lorenzana said.
“What is clear is that we need a comprehensive review of our alliance, taking stock of the pros and cons of the MDT and what happened in the past 70 years,” he added.
Lorenzana said that while the MDT had been beneficial to the Philippines, it was “not enough to make [the Philippines] stand on its own feet.”
“We cannot be forever relying on others for our security,” Lorenzana said.
“Helping the Philippines modernize its military would make it a more reliable and dependable ally to the United States in the pursuit of a free and peaceful Indo Pacific,” he added.
In July, Duterte ordered for the retraction of the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US.
The VFA is a framework agreement that covers the treatment and presence of American forces in the country with or without war games.
The VFA also makes it possible for the US military to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines in combating extremist groups by providing technical assistance and enemy surveillance to Filipino troops battling the militants.
Lorenzana has expressed the DND’s support for Duterte’s decision. -NB, GMA News
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