Lacson: Revisit PH-US defense treaty now
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government should now seriously consider revisiting its Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, following its pronouncement of its willingness to enhance efforts toward an international law-based maritime order, including freedom of navigation, following the recent incident in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Should he win as president in 2022, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he would treat the issues concerning the WPS as a priority, to address the supposed bullying by China and assert the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the region.
“The timing is right to revisit and modify the language of our mutual defense treaty and I’m sure, the US, because of its interest in the area … we know that this is anchored on our national interest, which is to be able to exercise sovereign rights over 322-kilometers and 19-kilometers exclusive economic zone (EEZ),” he said.
‘Radio challenge’
Lacson made the statement days after China’s Coast Guard blocked and used water cannons against the Philippines’ resupply ships that were sailing to Ayungin Shoal, some 194 km west of Palawan province.
This was also after the civilian plane that carried the senator and his entourage received a “radio challenge” from the Chinese Coast Guard on Sunday, when they visited Pag-asa Island, the biggest inhabited island in the WPS.
The Chinese government later said that Lacson’s plane was challenged because it purportedly encroached China’s airspace.
In a statement, the US government said it stands with the Philippines in the latest escalation of tension in the WPS, which, it said, “directly threatens regional peace and stability, escalates regional tensions, infringes upon freedom of navigation … and undermines the rules-based international order.”
It invoked the 2016 decision by an arbitral court that rejected China’s claims to Ayungin Shoal and other waters that are part of the Philippines’ EEZ.
‘Balance of power’
The United States said that “an armed attack on Philippine public vessels in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments under the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.”
Lacson, however, clarified that his recommendation should not be taken to suggest that the Philippines was taking a foreign policy that is pro-US and anti-China.
“We have sovereign rights on our exclusive economic zone, we can assure all nations that we will observe and uphold that freedom of navigation, something China does not do,” he said, citing how the WPS serves as a main route in international trade, with about 10 to 12 percent of vessels worldwide relying on freedom of navigation over this region.
Lacson said that while the Philippines should maintain trade relations with countries like China, it would not sacrifice its sovereignty and sovereign rights for this.
“We treat China as a friend, but does China treat us that way? Friendship should be on equal footing, not one-way,” he said in a radio interview.
He said a “balance of power” in the WPS would discourage countries like China from making incursions and from bullying the ships of smaller nations in the area.
