Ambassador Sung Kim says US open to Mutual Defense Treaty review

MANILA, Philippines — The United States’ top diplomat in Manila said yesterday Washington is open to a review of the provisions of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines to see whether the two countries can make “any adjustments to make it even better.”

Ambassador Sung Kim agreed with the Department of National Defense (DND) that an agreement as important and complicated as the MDT always “needs to be looked at very closely, as the circumstances surrounding the agreement or the alliance” evolve.

Kim told reporters on the sidelines of a forum in Makati City that dialogue between the US and the Philippines is ongoing at various levels and “if there are any adjustments that would be useful, certainly we would welcome an opportunity to make adjustments.”

DND Undersecretary Cardozo Luna reiterated Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s call for a review of the MDT.

“While our alliance is considered ironclad, as pronounced by our US counterparts in various fora, our two sides remain flexible in finding ways to address contemporary security challenges,” Luna said.

Lorenzana earlier stressed the need to review the treaty, given the ambivalent stand of the US on the country’s maritime domain and territorial issues in the West Philippine Sea.

The defense chief said it is about time both countries look into the provisions of the MDT, given the mounting security concerns in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea.

US, Filipino and regional policy experts gathered yesterday at the think tank conference on the future of the US-Philippine relationship to share their experiences and insights to help develop a roadmap for future bilateral relations. 

“Our alliance with the Philippines is our oldest in Asia,” Kim said. “Throughout our shared history, we have together confronted and overcome numerous challenges. Our nations are strongest when we work together as friends, partners and allies.”

Kim stressed that he has complete confidence in the strength, resiliency and importance of the relationship between the US and the Philippines.  

But as the two countries face new domestic, regional and global challenges, Kim said the US and the Philippines cannot rest simply on their confidence in the strength of this long-standing relationship.  

“We need to examine and analyze what lies over the horizon to ensure that we bring to bear the most effective tools and resources to not just overcome those challenges, but to seize opportunities,” Kim said.

The robust security alliance between the US and the Philippines, he said, plays an important role in securing the region and beyond.  

The US has provided nearly $60 million in response to the Marawi City crisis, and Washington said it will continue to work with its Philippine partners to achieve durable peace in the country and throughout the region.  

Last year, the US conducted more than 250 joint military activities, conducted visits by five US military ships, awarded 91 congressional gold medals to World War II veterans and funded the transfer of more than $35 million in military equipment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.