Credits: Rappler
United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III expressed the US’s intent to deepen its bilateral relationship with the Philippines over the next four years, during a visit to the country. Austin made these remarks during a meeting with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace.
Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken were in the Philippines for the 4th Philippines-US Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue (2+2 Dialogue), a significant event hosted by the Philippines for the first time. The dialogue underscores the close cooperation between the two nations, previously held in Washington, DC.
“We have common interests, common values, and so I think we’ve done a lot over the last three and a half years to continue to strengthen our alliance, and I look forward to another three and a half, or another four, in building, strengthening this relationship. But thanks for your leadership, Mr. President, it’s been a great three and a half years,” Austin said.
Blinken also conveyed the US’s readiness to assist the victims of Tropical Cyclone Carina and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon or Habagat. He highlighted the continuous high-level engagements between the US and the Philippines.
“Mr. President, thank you for the, as always, the warm welcome. I bring you greetings from President [Joe] Biden, Vice President [Kamala] Harris. We’re very, very pleased to be here. Let me just start by sending our deepest condolences to all the victims of the recent typhoon, and to say again, anything we can do to be of assistance, we welcome doing that,” Blinken stated.
He noted the historic nature of this meeting, being the first time the Philippines has hosted the 2+2 Dialogue, reflecting the steady and robust diplomatic engagement between the two countries on a wide array of issues, including security and economic matters.
In response, President Marcos expressed gratitude to the US officials for their visit, despite the “interesting political situation” in Washington. While Marcos did not elaborate, the political context involves recent developments in the US presidential race, with President Biden stepping back as the Democratic nominee, replaced by Vice President Harris.
“Welcome back to the Philippines. And I am always very happy that these communication lines are very open so that all the things that we are doing together in terms of our alliance, in terms of a specific context of our situation here in the West Philippine Sea, in the Indo-Pacific, are continuously examined and re-examined, so we are agile in terms of our responses,” Marcos said.
The Philippines and the US maintain a strong alliance, formalized by the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) signed in 1952, which commits both nations to mutual defense in the event of an armed attack in the Pacific region. The treaty has been a cornerstone of the relationship, reflecting shared strategic interests and security concerns.
The formal diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States have spanned 78 years, beginning on July 4, 1946. This longstanding partnership continues to evolve, with both nations looking to the future to strengthen their strategic cooperation further.