US President Donald Trump’s administration yesterday provided precision-guided missiles and other weapons to help the Philippines battle Islamic State group-aligned militants and renewed a pledge to defend its treaty ally if it comes under attack in the disputed South China Sea.
US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien represented Trump in a ceremony at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, where he announced the delivery of the cache of missiles and bombs to the Philippine military.
Trump pledged to provide the US$18 million worth of missiles in a phone conversation with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in April.
Photo: AFP
O’Brien expressed condolences to the Philippines after back-to-back typhoons left a trail of death and devastation in the country and outlined US aid to help it battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The US assistance projects normalcy in Washington’s foreign relations as Trump worked to challenge the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election, claiming he was a victim of fraud.
Duterte had asked Filipino Americans to vote for Trump, but through a spokesperson congratulated US president-elect Joe Biden for his win.
O’Brien has represented Trump in an online summit of the US and ASEAN leaders and an expanded East Asia virtual summit of heads of state, hosted by Vietnam and attended by China and Russia.
In his remarks at the turnover of US missiles in Manila, O’Brien cited the Trump administration’s role in the defeat of the Islamic State group in the Middle East and last year’s killing of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in Syria, and renewed its commitment to help defeat associated militants in the southern Philippines.
“President Trump is standing with President Duterte as we combat ISIS [Islamic State] here in Southeast Asia,” O’Brien said. “This transfer underscores our strong and enduring commitment to our critical alliance.”
He expressed hope that the Philippines would continue a key security agreement that allows US forces to train in large-scale combat exercises in the country.
Duterte moved to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US early this year, but later delayed the effectivity of his decision to next year, a move O’Brien welcomed.
He said that the US stands with the Philippines in its effort to protect its sovereign rights in the South China Sea.
The Philippines announced last month that it would resume oil and gas explorations in or near the Reed Bank (Lile Bank, 禮樂灘), which lies off the country’s western coast, but is also contested by China, and Taiwan.
“They belong to the Philippine people. They don’t belong to some other country that just because they may be bigger than the Philippines they can come take away and convert the resources of the Philippine people. That’s just wrong,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien repeated US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement early this year that “any armed attack on Philippine forces aircraft or public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger our mutual defense obligations.”
The allies have a 69-year-old mutual defense treaty.
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