(Updated 6:15 p.m.) The relationship between the US and the Philippines is a "two-way street," with each ready to come to the aid of the other, a US diplomat said Wednesday.
At the closing ceremonies for this year's Balikatan exercises, United States deputy chief of mission Brian Goldbeck said that American soldiers suffered along with Filipino forces in the Bataan Death March.
“We have not left you since. We remain with you, not just for an annual exercise, but whenever our partnership is truly needed,” he said.
He added that the Balikatan exercise is "the commitment of the American people to the Filipino people."
"We stand with you, by your side, through national disasters and common threats such as transnational terrorism," he said.
Goldbeck added of the relationship between the two countries, "Now we know it’s a two-way street."
"As [Foreign Affairs] Secretary [Albert] del Rosario has stated at the opening of Balikatan [on April 5], we know you would come to our aid as well. We have built bridges that brought us together. Now, we can cross those bridges together in a bright future."
Last week, Del Rosario also said that the Philippines would allow the US to station forces at military bases in the country in the event of war with North Korea.
"Our mutual defense treaty calls for joint action if either the Philippines or the United States is attacked," del Rosario said.
Crisis preparation
The Balikatan is a joint military exercise that trains the armed forces of both the Philippines and US to provide relief and assistance in disasters and other crises "that endanger public health and safety." This year's exercise was the 29th of the series.
Balikatan exercise director on the Philippine side Maj. Gen. Virgilio Domingo said “a lot of things” were accomplished at this year's training. This year, the Philippines and the US were joined by other countries, including China, in a tabletop discussion on disaster scenarios and disaster response in international waters.
China's participation in the discussion is "very significant," said Goldbeck.
"There is no one country that has domain over [disaster response] and we need every country in the region to be able to hold together and help countries in need. And certainly, having China for the very first time to at least watch how we do tabletop exercises and the things that we talked about, I think, will help them be better partners in the future," he said.
Goldbeck said the two countries are also looking into expanding Balikatan into a multi-lateral exercise that would include Australia and Japan in the activities.
The Philippines has a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with Australia, ratified by the Senate in July 2012. It has no similar agreement with Japan.
"We have a very good relationship with [Australia]…so I guess it will improve and it will broaden the perspectives of the joint and combined exercise if we make it into a multi-lateral (exercise) or we have a separate one with them," said Domingo, adding that he was not sure Japan would be able to participate, saying the situation "has its own limitations." — BM, GMA News
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