PH, US ink new defense pact for Indo-Pacific security

The Philippines and the United States have established new Bilateral Defense Guidelines, signed on May 3, to modernize their alliance and ensure cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

These guidelines reaffirm that an armed attack on either country's forces, including their Coast Guards, in the Pacific or South China Sea would trigger mutual defense commitments under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. stated that the new guidelines are responsive to the security challenges faced by both countries, emphasizing that "security and defense can no longer be isolated as one issue."

The agreement acknowledges threats across multiple domains including land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace, and seeks to enhance interoperability and deterrence.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Washington's commitment to bolstering the Philippines' defense capabilities, with a Security Sector Assistance Roadmap guiding shared defense modernization investments over the next five to 10 years.

The new framework seeks to enhance interoperability in both conventional and non-conventional domains and deepen bilateral planning and information-sharing.

The strengthened military ties aim to ensure peace and stability in the region, particularly in the context of China's actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.