Signed on August 30, 1951, the MDT is the sole and longest running defense pact the Philippines has ever had with any country. There are a few alarmists over Secretary Lorenzana’s statement that the aim of the review would be to decide whether to “maintain, strengthen or scrap” the MDT. Both US and Philippine military officials agree that there is a need to update so many provisions in the MDT given the evolving security environment and the recent advancements in military technology. The US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty has been a bulwark of regional stability for almost 70 years. This was the same reassurance given by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo when Secretary Teddy Locsin and I met with him at the State Department in December, where he “reaffirmed the enduring US-Philippines alliance, including commitments under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) of 1951.”* * *Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com.

Source: Philippine Star February 16, 2019 16:00 UTC