Marcos confident US will defend Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Although convinced that no one is in favor of waging a war, President Marcos has expressed confidence that the US would come to the defense of its treaty ally the Philippines in the event of direct security threat because of their long shared history and “ironclad” relationship.

Marcos said officials of the Trump administration have assured him of their commitment to the Philippines during his recent visit to Washington, from July 20 to 22.

“I am. Because the assurances that we have been receiving in those terms from the new administration, before I went there, and when I went there, and since that visit, have been very, very strong,” he told Indian media outlet Firstpost in an interview posted online last Wednesday.

Marcos was asked whether he was convinced that the US under President Donald Trump would come to the Philippines’ defense if it faces a security challenge.

“We refer to the term ironclad, and we have to remember, as I mentioned when I was in Washington, that the term ironclad, as it relates to the relationship between the US and the Philippines, was actually coined by Mr. Trump in his first term, and when he was asked about the Philippines,” the President said.

Marcos noted that the Philippines was a member of the American Commonwealth and that Filipinos had parity rights with US citizens for a very long time.

“That cultural memory (remains). And I think that too, that there is an aspect of that as well in the United States for the Philippines. We do have over two million Filipinos in the United States. So we are also very much woven into the fabric of their society, in a good way. And again, it has been a very long and very good relationship, and I think it will remain so. I’m sure it will remain so,” he said.

In 1951, the Philippines and the US signed the Mutual Defense Treaty, which allows the two countries to separately or jointly maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to fend off armed attacks.

Washington officials have repeatedly declared that the MDT covers armed attacks on their armed forces, aircraft or public vessels, including their coast guard anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea.

In the same interview, Marcos admitted that the Philippines cannot stay out if armed hostilities between China and Taiwan erupt due to its physical geographic location.

There are about 250,000 Filipinos in Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province. However, Taiwan, known officially as Republic of China, regards itself as an independent sovereign state.

The Philippines has adopted a one-China policy, which means that it views Taiwan as part of China.

Chinese ships

Meanwhile, an American maritime security expert said Chinese ships were swarming around various features in Philippine waters including in the vicinity of Batanes.

Ray Powell, a former US Air Force officer and defense attaché, said on X that at least three Chinese maritime militia ships blocked fisheries boat BRP Datu Romapenet in Sandy Cay near Pag-asa island Wednesday morning. The Romapenet was forced to sail back to Pag-asa.

In another X post, Powell disclosed that three large China Coast Guard ships were spotted near Batanes, but it’s “not clear where they’re headed.” — Ghio Ong