June 6, 2003

 

JOINT STATEMENT BY THE RP- US MUTUAL DEFENSE BOARD

MANILA -- The Mutual Defense Board (MDB) of the United States of America and the Republic of the Philippines (RP), completed its 45th anniversary meeting on June 6 at Camp Aguinaldo. Discussion focused on common views of the new security environment after September 11, 2001. Plans build on the strengthened and reinvigorated bilateral alliance to confront and defeat terrorism, as affirmed by the successful meeting between President Arroyo and President Bush in Washington last month.

Co-Chairmen General Narciso L. Abaya, Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, head the MDB.

The United States and the Philippines cooperate closely in the war on terror. The two nations have a robust security assistance program to train Philippine military units in counter terrorism skills. This security assistance training is designed to assist the Philippine military in developing a sustained, long-term capability to defeat terrorism.

A key facet is expanding the civic action and humanitarian assistance components to improve living conditions and prosperity of citizens by way of training and equipping a special Philippine engineering unit for civic action/humanitarian projects in conflict zones as agreed by the two Presidents.

The MDB provides joint military to military oversight of the U.S. - Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty. Programs consist of bilateral events that are reviewed and updated annually through a formal process. This serves as the primary basis to determine annual Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)- related activities, which are presented each year to their respective governments for review and consideration.

The members and delegates reaffirmed the vitality of the RP – US security alliance in the reality of a changed security environment since September 11, 2001. New and emerging security challenges will require innovative, flexible and cooperative approaches to mutual security. The importance of this recognition was most recently affirmed in the Joint Statement by the RP and U.S. Presidents in Washington, DC, May 19, which included a commitment by the U.S. President to designate the Philippines as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA).

? The MDB confirmed that in the 52nd year of the US-RP Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the Philippines is playing a significant role in the global war on terrorism.

? To strengthen the alliance, both countries conduct a range of activities including combined exercises, exercise-related engineering/ construction work, conferences, personnel exchanges, ship visits, security assistance activities, workshops and symposiums.

? Attention will be given to building on the commitments of the two Presidents in strengthening RP-US relations as well as enhancing the AFP capability to sustain counter terrorism.

? Special focus will be given to pursuing actions directed toward transforming and strengthening the alliance for the future.

Among activities regularly reviewed and updated through the formal MDB process are those focused on improving interoperability between the AFP and U.S. in furthering the common goals of defeating terrorism, enhancing regional stability, dominating the information environment, and meeting the emerging threats of a changed security environment.

Participants in the MDB meeting discussed the completed and ongoing MDT-related activities for CY2003. Likewise, the upcoming activities for CY2004 were outlined in the Five (5) Year MDB Work Plan with emphasis on the attainment of the strategic and operational objectives. The MDB Standing Committees also discussed in detail the status of the activities and updated all other activities based on the plan for the years ahead.

In identifying future MDT-related activities, the MDB meeting has been guided by recent global developments through a regional security assessment brief. The assessment will be used to make relevant and necessary adjustments in the MDB plan. The three-day activity enhanced both countries’ continuing cooperative activities in security cooperation and counter terrorism training and assistance.

The next Mutual Defense Board, the Standing Committee Meetings, will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, in October.

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