The Philippines will remain an important country to the US for many years in the future, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. During his visit to Palawan on Tuesday, Austin said the US is committed to the defense of the Philippines, reiterating that the US commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) is ironclad. He reiterated that the MDT applies to armed attacks on either of the two countries’ armed forces, aircraft, or public vessels, including coast guards anywhere in the South China Sea.

Lee-Brago, P. (2024, November 25). ‘US committed to defend Philippines from Chinese aggression’. The Philippine Star, p. 2.