THE US expects further advances in defense cooperation with the Philippines following recent discussions between President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., and US officials, including Undersecretary of War Elbridge A. Colby.
Mr. Colby said Washington had made significant progress in its defense relationship with Manila over the past 18 months and expects cooperation to deepen following his recent discussions with Mr. Marcos and Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr.
“We’re proud to say that over the… last 18 months plus, we’ve made a lot of progress,” he told a news briefing via Zoom. “Based on the conversations with President Marcos and Secretary of National Defense Teodoro, we just see further progress is definitely in the future.”
Mr. Colby said the US had also seen progress at sites covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and expects more developments.
“We already have substantially accelerated the relationship with the Philippines, and we are proud to say that there has been progress with the EDCA sites, and we anticipate more,” he said.
He said Washington was coordinating closely with Manila to ensure that defense cooperation respects Philippine sovereignty and takes into account the country’s national priorities.
Mr. Colby also credited the Philippine government for taking an active role in advancing the bilateral defense partnership.
The US is focused on boosting Philippine deterrence and military capabilities amid tensions in the South China Sea, he said, while avoiding unnecessary rhetorical pressure.
“We are focused on that strengthening of deterrence capabilities and military capabilities,” Mr. Colby said. “We’re not interested in unnecessarily pressurizing the rhetorical environment.”
He said the approach was centered on building strength and measuring the partnership through tangible results.
Mr. Colby described the level of US-Philippine defense cooperation as “unprecedented.”
Mr. Colby earlier said the US is seeking to deepen defense cooperation with the Philippines and other Indo-Pacific partners as part of efforts to strengthen regional deterrence.
In a fireside chat hosted by the Stratbase Institute on Aug. 10, he described the Philippines as a model ally for increasing defense investments, modernizing its military and coast guard, and contributing to regional security.
Mr. Marcos met with Mr. Colby during a courtesy call at Malacañang. His visit to Manila was part of a regional trip that would also take him to Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia.
The Philippines and the US have reaffirmed their commitment to boosting defense cooperation as they marked the 75th anniversary of their Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), with both sides approving expanded military engagements for the coming year.
US Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel J. Paparo and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Antonio G. Nafarrete co-chaired the annual Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board meeting at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Aug. 7, the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Monday.
During the meeting, the two military chiefs signed an eight-star memorandum approving guidance and a list of activities for continued bilateral cooperation.
The agreement seeks to strengthen cooperation and interoperability between the two militaries amid heightened regional tensions, while reaffirming their commitment to the 1951 MDT.
The activities are intended to maintain regular interaction between the two armed forces and improve operational readiness.
The board meeting followed this year’s iteration of Exercise Balikatan, which the embassy described as the biggest and most expansive edition of the annual Philippine-US military exercises.
Held from April 20 to May 8, the 19-day exercise involved about 17,000 troops from the Philippines, the US and multinational partners including Australia, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand. — P.J. Bacon