MANILA — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday said there are ongoing conversations to broaden the interpretations of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States amid China’s increasing hostility to Filipino aircraft and vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Teodoro said there is a need to broaden the definition of the defense pact to address changing situations.

“We’re getting narrowed down by the definition of armed attack, public vessel, etcetera and the public gets frustrated on that. So, I think we should broaden the scope of the MDT to face a dynamic and cunning adversary,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an international military forum in Manila organized by the US Indo-Pacific Command.

He said the ongoing conversations on the MDT are meant to “make it more dynamic.”

The Philippines and the US are bound by the 1951 treaty, which can be invoked in case of external armed attacks on Philippine forces, public vessels, or aircraft.

The MDT is also the basis for the Visiting Forces Agreement and the annual Balikatan military exercises that it governs.

Government officials as well as critics of American presence in the Philippines like Bagong Alyansang Makabayan have cast doubt on how much help the US would actually give in case of hostilities.

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In an interview in Malacañang, National Maritime Council spokesman Alexander Lopez agreed that the MDT needs to be reviewed to adapt to modern, more complicated times.

“Kasi sa akin lang, 1951 pa yung Mutual Defense Treaty. And since then the strategic defense landscape has changed so much. So maybe it is high time now to maybe review,” Lopez said.

The NMC is the government’s policy-setting body on maritime issues, including in the West Philippine Sea.

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PHILIPPINES TO CONDUCT OPERATIONS ON ITS OWN FOR NOW

Over the past days, Philippine state aircraft and vessels have been confronted by a series of Chinese harassment despite a recent agreement of de-escalate the tense waters.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, US Indo-Pacific Command commander, said Washington has always been ready to assist the Philippines in its missions in the West Philippine Sea.

“Escort…is entirely a reasonable option within our Mutual Defense Treaty,” he said.

Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, said Manila will exhaust all options and avenues available for now. 

“While we can do it by ourselves, we will do it. And we will then seek for other options when we are already constrained from doing it ourselves,” he said.

NMC spokesperson Lopez, meanwhile, said that he Philippine government’s efforts to call on the international community for greater action against China is part of the country’s efforts to “engage traditional allies and newfound allies, and to rally like-minded nations”

“Nobody buys the narrative of China and tayo we have already anchored on UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling. That’s our strength,” he said.

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