'US-Phl alliance among most vital defense partnerships'

The United States alliance with the Philippines has been elevated to stand among Washington’s “most vital defense partnerships in the world,” according to an official of the US Department of Defense.

- PIA LEE-BRAGO

Assistant Secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs Ely Ratner said the progress in the alliance has been historic, as events involving the Philippines since 2021 have been “truly transformative and decisive,” citing broader strategic changes across the Indo-Pacific and an assertive and aggressive China.

“We have raised the profile of alliance engagements. We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Manila in the midst of a changing security environment,” Ratner told the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ South China Sea Conference on Thursday.

“But I believe that historians will record this period in the alliance as truly transformative and decisive, as emblematic of broader strategic changes across the Indo-Pacific, as the direct result of leadership by both President Biden and President Marcos, and as a central feature of (Defense) Secretary (Lloyd) Austin’s legacy in the region,” he said.