Filipino soldiers jump from a USA UH-1Y helicopter during a helocast and maritime patrol exercise as part of the semi-annual Marine Aviation Support Activity (MASA) in Ternate, Cavite on July 14, 2023. The MASA exercise aims to strengthen regional partnerships and foster military cooperation between the Philippines and United States and promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

US PH

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2979441"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><p>MANILA — The Philippines will not invoke its mutual defense treaty with the United States even after China’s use of water cannons in the West Philippine Sea injured 4 Filipinos and damaged a resupply vessel, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.</p><div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">The mutual defense treaty obligates both Manila and Washington to help each other in case of external aggression.</span></div><p>Marcos gave the statement when asked if he viewed the latest collision in the West Philippine Sea as an attack to the Philippines.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/6/marcos-sea-row-with-china-a-david-and-goliath-situation-1115">Marcos: Sea row with China &#x27;a David and Goliath situation -- and David won&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;I do not think that it is a time or the reason to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty. However, we continue to view with great alarm this continuing dangerous maneuvers and dangerous actions that are being done against our seamen, our Coast Guard,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I think that we cannot view this in any way but in the most serious way,&quot; he added.</p><p>China fired water cannons against the resupply vessel Unaizah May 4, shattering its windshields and injuring 4 personnel.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="950" height="534" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QQyGkzC0_mw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>The Philippines will “make our objections known and hope that we can continue to communicate to find a way so that such actions are no longer seen in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.</p><p>Marcos has repeatedly said that the Philippines would not “surrender a square inch” of Philippine territory under his watch.</p><p>The Philippines has filed diplomatic protests against China’s repeated incursions in its exclusive economic zone.</p><p>Despite this, China has continued to mount blockades, and even ban Filipino fisherfolk from sailing and fishing in the West Philippine Sea.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/6/asean-australia-decry-actions-that-endanger-peace-in-south-china-sea-1504">ASEAN, Australia decry actions that &#x27;endanger peace&#x27; in South China Sea</a></div>

<p>The Philippines will not invoke its mutual defense treaty with the United States even after China’s use of water cannons in the West Philippine Sea injured 4 Filipinos and damaged a resupply vessel, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.</p>

The Philippines will not invoke its mutual defense treaty with the United States even after China’s use of water cannons in the West Philippine Sea injured 4 Filipinos and damaged a resupply vessel, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.

Marcos: PH will not invoke defense treaty with US despite fresh sea tensions | ABS-CBN

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Marcos: PH will not invoke defense treaty with US despite fresh sea tensions

Marcos: PH will not invoke defense treaty with US despite fresh sea tensions

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 06, 2024 04:25 PM PHT

|

Updated Mar 06, 2024 06:03 PM PHT

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