Washington,D.C—“We will always have your back in the South China Sea or elsewhere in the region.”
Pahayag ito ni US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III kay Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. matapos gawaran ng full military honors ang punong ehekutibo sa Pentagon headquarters sa Washington.
Ayon kay Austin, lalo pang lumalim ang alyansa ng Pilipinas at Amerika kabilang na ang katatapos na pagpapalawak sa Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement kung saan nadagdag pa ang apat na lugar.
Nais din ni Austin na talakayin sa Pangulo ang bagong bilateral defense guidelines at iba pang pamamaraan para palakasin pa ang relasyon ng PIlipinas at Amerika.
Sabi ni Austin, isang paalala ito na matatag ang alyansa ang dalawang bansa.
“President Biden has made clear our commitment to the defense of the Philippines is ironclad. And let me tell you once again that our Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks on our armed forces, coast guard vessels, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific including anywhere in the South China Sea,” pahayag ni Austin.
Tinukoy din ni Austin ang katatapos na Balikatan exercise kung saan 17,000 Amerikano at Filipinong sundalo ang lumahok sa pagsasanay.
“For decades, the Philippines has been an indispensable friend and ally to United States. Our alliance is rooted in our common democratic values and it draws strength from the deep bonds between our peoples,” pahayag ni Austin.
“And I said before Mr. President, we’re more than allies, we’re family and we share a common vision for free and open Indo-Pacific because a region governed by rules and rights help provide security and prosperity for our two countries and for the whole region,” pahayag ni Austin.
Nagpasalamat naman ang Pangulo kay Austin at sa Amerika sa suporta na ibinibigay sa Pilipinas.
“I look forward to a very bright future between the Philippines and the United States, a future that is founded on the long experience and as you say, friendship and familial relationship because the people-to-people exchanges between our two countries have been ongoing at every level,” pahayag ng Pangulo.