PH, US urged to sign new Manila Declaration
A MINDANAO lawmaker has called for joint naval war games between the Philippines and the United States and the signing a new “Manila Declaration” strongly renewing the allegiance of the two countries to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).
“We should have another Manila Declaration, considering China’s plan to occupy more areas in the West Philippine Sea that are clearly within our 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. We can have the new declaration signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan,” Pimentel said, referring to the flagship of the U.S. Navy’s carrier strike group based in Yokosuka, Japan. said Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairman of the House committee on strategic intelligence.
Ten years ago, the Philippines and the U.S. signed the Manila Declaration, which reaffirmed their commitment to the treaty that binds the two countries to support and defend each other militarily.
The 2011 declaration was signed by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the deck of the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald docked in Manila.
Pimentel, a backer of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), also pushed for the conduct of joint naval exercises between the Philippines and the U.S. “to improve coordination between our warships.”
“We should have annual training maneuvers to enhance the capabilities of our new Rizal class guided missile frigates and AW159 Wildcat naval choppers,” Pimentel said.
“The regular drills will also heighten the maritime domain awareness our naval commanders as well as the interoperability of our combat ships,” Pimentel said.
U.S. President Joseph Biden, in his first major foreign policy speech in February, called America’s alliances around the world its “greatest asset” and vowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with partners.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III had also reiterated America’s commitment to the 70-year-old MDT and the VFA in an introductory phone conversation with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana.
