US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin bids goodbye with a landmark agreement and the groundbreaking of a new coordination center — both pave the way for the Philippines to increase defense and security cooperation not only with the US, but also with partners old and...
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin bids goodbye with a landmark agreement and the groundbreaking of a new coordination center — both pave the way for the Philippines to increase defense and security cooperation not only with the US, but also with partners old and new
It is with the ease of familiarity that Austin moves around the Philippines. He calls his Filipino counterpart Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., “Gibo” and calls Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, “Ricky.” Joshua Espeña, vice president at International Development and Security Cooperation, sees GSOMIA as sending “a more aligned strategic goal between the two.” He explained to Rappler, “You do not share intel with others if the intelligence cycle suggests that you do not have a shared objective.”
“China, through its Coast Guard, Navy, maritime militia, and overseas United Front Works network have been responsible for the exacerbation of the West Philippine Sea security architecture.
That point is crucial — because as consistent Austin and politicians from both sides of the aisle are in promising their “ironclad” commitment to the Mutual Defense Agreement and the Philippines, Manila has made it a point to expand its web of partners and friends, even as it improves its own defense and security capabilities.
Marcos can be credited for restoring relationships strained during the term of his immediate predecessor — with the US, most notably, but also with countries under the European Union. Robust ties with Japan, exemplified by the recently-signed Reciprocal Access Agreement, made landmark strides under former presidents Rodrigo Duterte and the late Benigno Aquino III.
Ricky Carandang, communications secretary under the late Aquino, said Donald Trump’s pending return to the White House — given all its potential and uncertainty — is a “good thing” for the Philippines, if only for it to “shake off” the “romanticized and idealized” view of the US as its treaty ally.
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