Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty Issues

PHILIPPINES WARNS US

Philippines' high defense official have questioned key accord with America over fears that it might drag the country into war within the South China Sea, a day after an American Boeing B-52 bomber performed a flyover of the contested region.

Delfin Lorenzana The Defense Secretary Of Philippines said that the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) was ambiguous and vague and risked causing 

"confusion and chaos during a crisis."

PHILIPPINES-US MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY

The Mutual Defense Accord between the Republic of the Philippines and America was signed on 30th August, 1951, in Washington, D.C. between representatives of  Philippines and  America

The overall accord contained eight articles and dictated that both nations would support one another if either the Philippines or the United States were to be attacked by an external party.

The differences  arised from the actual fact that the United States did not expressly stated whether or not Philippine-claimed disputed territory falls under the provisions of the mutual defense treaty.

TIMELINE

• 1542 - Spanish expedition claimed the islands and named them the Philippines after the heir to the Spanish throne.
• 1896 - People of Philippines campaign for independence from Spanish rule.
• 1898 - Revolutionary forces under Emilio Aguinaldo to proclaim independence.
• 1898 December - During brief Spanish-American War, US Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. Spain conceded Philippines to US, which proclaims military rule.

HISTORY

The Philippines became a colony of the United States after the Spanish–American War and the subsequent Philippine–American War. 

In 1935, underneath the terms of the Tydings–McDuffie Act, the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth, the Philippine Commonwealth, with full independence planned for 10 years later.

PHILIPPINE–AMERICAN DEFENCE

COOPERATION

On 28 April 2014, the two governments executed an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) aiming to enhance cooperative capacities and efforts in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The EDCA is ment to promote the following between the Philippines the United States:

• Interoperability 
• Capacity building towards AFP modernization 
• Strengthening AFP for external defense  
• Maritime Security Maritime Domain Awareness 
• Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR)

USA PROVOCATION

Recently a US Boeing B-52 bomber flew near contested islands in the sea, according to US Pacific Air Forces, which oversees air operations in the region. This was the first flyover involving a nuclear-capable B-52 in a long time.

THE TENSION

A MDT was signed between the US and the Philippines in 1951, during the early years of the Cold War. It states that both countries have to come to the assistance of the other in the event of an "armed attack on the metropolitan territory of either of the parties, or on the island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific or on its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific.“ In December 2018, Lorenzana ordered to review whether the treaty was still valid or relevant today.

WHAT USA SAID RECENTLY

"As the South China Sea is part of the Pacific, any armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft, or public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger mutual defense obligations under Article 4 of our Mutual Defense Treaty," Pompeo