Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez on Thursday disclosed that United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been planning to go to the Philippines.
In a tv interview, Romualdez stated Austin needs to satisfy his Filipino counterpart, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., who was appointed to steer the Philippines’ protection and safety sector early this month.
“Secretary Austin has been planning to come to the Philippines, if I’m correct it’s been over a month since I was informed in Washington that he wanted to come to the Philippines so we have a new Secretary of Defense, he’s looking forward to meeting him,” Romualdez instructed ANC.
“The main purpose is really to be able to again be able to interact with our defense establishments especially with our new Defense secretary,” he added.
This additionally got here after it was revealed that there was a critical dialogue between Manila and Washington on conducting joint patrols within the West Philippine Sea.
Romualdez clarified that joint patrols aren’t confined with the United States however they’re additionally attainable with different allies akin to Japan and Australia.
“First and foremost, we have the VFA, we have the EDCA, we have the Mutual Defense Treaty so that’s only part of the many aspects of our defense relationship or defense alliance with the United States,” he stated.
“Joint patrols does not really mean that it’s directed to any one country. It basically means that it is really for us to be able to, like the VFA, have an interoperability… that’s the operative word that I’d like to use… that we will always be able to be ready if in any event there is conflict…” he added.
Romualdez additional confused that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s foremost aim is to make sure peace and safety within the resource-rich area.
“President Marcos’ main objective in the West Philippine Sea really is to find peace and security and also importantly, he wants to make sure that our fishermen will be able to continue to fish in those waters because they’ve been doing that for centuries,” he stated.
Marcos has stated the Philippine authorities already used the mechanism that he had proposed in Beijing following current experiences that the Chinese coast guard drove away Filipino fishers in waters off Ayungin Shoal. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
