MANILA, Philippines- Nagpulong ang mga mataas na diplomats at defense at security officials ng Pilipinas at Estados Unidos para pag-usapan ang Mutual Defense Treaty, kasama si Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.
Kumbinsido ang mga ito na kailangan ang pag-uusap para pigilan ang pagtaas ng tensyon sa South China Sea.
Sa kanyang pambungad na pananalita sa isinagawang 3+3 Meeting sa US State Department, tinukoy ni Manalo ang kahalagahan ng talakayan, tinukoy ang “harassment” ng Tsina na nagresulta ng pagkasugat ng apat na seamen.
“I think our meeting today will enable us to hopefully be in a better position to coordinate our response, both diplomatic and on the defense and security fronts in relation to any actions in the South China Sea, whether they’re positive or negative, including in the Ayungin Shoal,” ayon kay Manalo.
“So we also hope that this 3+3 meeting will be a regular event, and also reinforce our regular Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, as well as our ongoing maritime dialogue. And finally, we do underscore the need to continue further clarificatory discussions on the MDT, as we think this would also help in deterring further escalation by China,” dagdag na wika nito.
Dumalo naman sa pagpupulong sina US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, at National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Tumayong kinatawan ng Pilipinas sina National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, at National Security Advisor Eduardo Año.
“I think today’s meeting — an unprecedented 3+3 — reflects the growing and deepening cooperation between our countries on a broad array of issues, and of course our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, including in the South China Sea,” ayon kay US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“We very much welcome this opportunity to pursue that cooperation, collaboration, and of course, we stand with the Philippines in our ironclad defense commitments, including the Mutual Defense Treaty,” patuloy niya.
“We all know that our shared security relies on strong military bonds, shared economic opportunities, and robust people-to-people ties. And at the Department of Defense, we’re working in lockstep with our colleagues at the Department of National Defense, to strengthen interoperability between our forces, to expand our operational coordination, and to stand up to coercion in the South China Sea,” litaniya ni Austin.
“And later today, I’ll be hosting President (Ferdinand “Bongbong”) Marcos (Jr.) at the Pentagon, and I’ll share with you what I’m going to tell him, and that is that the United States and the Philippines are more than allies — we’re family,” pahayag pa ng opisyal.
Samantala, nabanggit din sa kalatas ang “serious concerns” ng mga bansa sa mapanganib at agresibong pag-uugali ng Tsina sa South China Sea, tinukoy ng mga lider ang 2016 Arbitral Ruling na ang Ayungin Shoal — isang ‘submerged reef’ sa Spratly Islands — nakahimlay sa loob ng exclusive economic zone (EEZ) ng Pilipinas.
Tumanggi naman ang Tsina na kilalanin ang ruling ng Permanent Court of Arbitration na nagpawalang-bisa sa nine-dash line nito.
Binigyang-diin ng gobyerno na ipagpapatuloy ng mga ito na sumunod sa inilarawan nitong “friendly consultation” kasama ang Pilipinas matapos matuklasan na nagkukumpulan ang ilang Chinese vessels sa lugar sa West Philippine Sea. Kris Jose
