(CNN) The Philippines' top defense official has questioned a key treaty with the US over fears it could drag the country into war in the South China Sea, a day after an American B-52 bomber performed a flyover of the contested region. Speaking Tuesday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) was ambiguous and vague and risked causing "confusion and chaos during a crisis." "Differences in interpretation arise from the fact that the United States does not explicitly state whether Philippine-claimed disputed territory falls under the provisions of the mutual defense treaty," CFR said in a 2016 report. "As the South China Sea is part of the Pacific, any armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft, or public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger mutual defense obligations under Article 4 of our Mutual Defense Treaty," Pompeo said. Under the previous government of Benigno Aquino, it won a landmark case against China at an international tribunal, which ruled much of Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea were unlawful.

Source: CNN March 05, 2019 23:39 UTC