MANILA, Philippines- Sinabi ni Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro na hindi siya maghihinuha hinggil sa kondisyon sa pagpapairal ng Mutual Defense Treaty kasama ang Estados Unidos.
Binigyang-diin ni Teodoro na iyon ay “political decision” partikular na ng Philippine government.
“It would be counterproductive to delve into hypotheticals. As Defense Secretary, I would like to steer away from the discussion on [which] occasions that the MDT may be invoked when our jobs… is to make sure that through capability building, deterrence, there are no situations when MDT could arise,” ayon kay Teodoro.
“We need to assert our rights, but in a manner that safeguards each member of the Philippine Armed Forces, which is the principal actor in the area,” dagdag niya.
Sinabi pa ng Kalihim na ang ipanawagan ang tratado “will be a political decision at the end of the day principally by the Philippine government. I would leave it at that.”
Sinabi ito ni Teodoro sa isang press conference na kanyang dinaluhan sa Hawaii kasama sina Defense chiefs Lloyd Austin ng Estados Unidos United States, Minoru Kihara ng Japan, at Richard Marles ng Australia.
Ayon kay Teodoro, hindi dapat na itinuturing ang MDT bilang instrumento para pukawin ang pangamba ng ibang bansa.
“The talk about the MDT is sometimes also exploited in the international press and sometimes used as a bogeyman in order for our countries bilaterally and multilaterally move forward with legitimate and hardening measures for the Philippines,” wika ng opisyal.
“I would stay away from theoretical and hypothetical talks on the MDT because these are counterproductive,” dagdag na pahayag nito nang tanugin kung ano ang specific scenarios, gaya ng pagkamatay ng isang Filipino military personnel, ang magti-trigger sa inbokasyon ng MDT na nilagdaan sa pagitan ng Maynila at Washington noong 1951.
Bilang tugon sa tanong, sinabi ni Austin na ang MDT ay hindi “subject to hypothetical scenarios.” Sinabi pa nito na ang pinsala sa Philippines vessels at pagkasugat ng mga Filipino crew members ay “irresponsible behavior.”
“Filipino crew members are put in danger, sailors have been injured…and property damage. That is irresponsible behavior. It disregards international law. I would not get into any hypotheticals on what could happen and how it could happen. What I could say is that you heard me say, you heard what the President [Joe Biden] said a number of times: that our commitment to the treaty (MDT) is ironclad and we stand with the Philippines,” ang litaniya ni Austin. Kris Jose
