There are some factors that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. desires to make clear as regards the PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty when he meets US President Joe Biden, Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez has mentioned.
According to JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras”, Romualdez mentioned Marcos had no objection to any provision of the MDT.
“He wants to make everything really precise and perfect. Ayaw niya yung (He doesn’t want) neither here nor there,” Romualdez said of the President.
“He would like to always clarify and make sure everything is exactly what it says, perhaps that’s what’s in his mind,” he added.
“‘Yung sinasabi ni Presidente na ‘evolve’. Nage-evolve na nga ngayon actually, so parang any kind of agreement when you look at it and review it,” Romualdez mentioned.
(As for his ‘evolve’ remarks, the MDT is evolving now. So it appears similar to any type of settlement once you take a look at it and assessment it.)
Marcos on Monday cited the necessity for the MDT to “evolve” as he mentioned that the 70-year-accord is among the many subjects that will probably be mentioned in his official working go to to Washington in May.
Romualdez mentioned there was an current mechanism to replace the treaty and it may be executed by the mutual protection board, which additionally adjusted the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
He additionally mentioned the MDT clarified Washington’s place as regards safeguarding Manila’s sovereignty from exterior forces.
“That I think is one main clear provision that is now klarong-klaro na talaga ngayon. Kasi noon maraming mga salita na sabi nila na pag merong mutual defense treaty tayo agrabyado tayo dahil ang United States kailangan nila ng congressional act. Ang lumalabas ngayon hindi na ganon,” mentioned Romualdez.
(That I believe is one principal clear provision that may be very clear. Before, some individuals would argue that we’re on the shedding finish of the MDT as a result of the US would nonetheless want a Congressional Act. It has modified now.)
“Ang US hindi na sila manghihingi pa ng approval, so to speak, from their Congress. ‘Yun ang pinakamaganda ngayong nangyari the evolvement of our Mutual Defense Treaty,” he mentioned. “Lahat ‘yan nakalagay na yan sa addendum or agreements.”
(The US government doesn’t want the approval of Congress, so to talk. That’s the perfect evolution that occurred to the MDT. All of that was included within the addendum or agreements.)
For her half, former National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos mentioned any change within the MDT ought to bear a correct course of.
“Maraming mga tukod diyan ‘yung mutual defense treaty. (The MDT has a lot of facets.) If there would be a fundamental change in the mutual defense treaty because it is a treaty, that has to be agreed upon and ratified by the Senate of both countries. The Senate of the Philippines, and the Senate of the United States,” mentioned Carlos.
“Sobrang madugo nyan, madugong madugo ‘yan. Nakita mo yung VFA ang taga-tagal, e agreement lang yun. Di ba executive agreement lang yun?” she added.
(That can be laborious. Just like what occurred to the VFA.)
Meanwhile, safety analyst Professor Renato de Castro believes Marcos doesn’t intend to vary the MDT however mentioned the President ought to make clear Washington’s stand on Beijing’s threats within the West Philippine Sea and Manila’s cybersecurity.
Castro additionally mentioned among the many attainable modifications to the VFA can be the rules for the hearings of US navy personnel who had been concerned in crimes within the nation.
“Probably he’s asking for greater clarification the same way Secretary Lorenzana raised it,” he mentioned.
“In terms of Chinese gray zone operations, cybersecurity, food security, and other areas where both countries could cooperate. Probably the wider notion of security from what we call traditional security to possibly human security,” he added. —NB, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
