The United States of America Ambassador
to the Philippines Sung Kim said that foreign led attacks initiated by miltia or armed civilians in the diputed West Philippine Sea may trigger the activation of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) of the United States and the Philippines.
The US Ambassador in an interview with
Cignal TV’s One News reiterated the US
commitment to honor the provisions of the treaty, which bind the two countries
in case of an external armed conflict.
“(US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) made clear that because the South China Sea is
part of the Pacific, under the treaty itself, any armed attack on Filipino
vessels, Filipino aircraft will trigger our obligations under the Mutual Defense
Treaty,” he said.
 |
| US Ambasador to the PH Sung Kim (photo credit to owner) |
“I
think that’s about as clear as you can get without getting into millions of
possible hypothetical situations,” added Kim.
Ambassador Kin said that the MDT covers
any armed external attack against Filipino forces, including public vessels.
“Any
armed attack, I would think that would include government-sanctioned militias,”
he said when asked about the presence of Chinese militia in the South China
Sea.
“We
are totally committed to the obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty and we
will live up to those obligations. I have confidence that our defense leaders
in Washington and Manila understand what is at stake and that when we encounter
situations that will require our commitment to come to reality, I think we will
deliver,” he added.
What can you say about this?
Share
us your thoughts by simply leaving on the comment section below. For more news
updates, feel free to visit our site often.
Stay
updated with today's relevant news and trends by hitting the LIKE button.
Thanks
for dropping by and reading this post.
Report from PhilStar
0 Comments