US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III said on Wednesday he has spoken with Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Carlito Galvez to discuss "concerning developments" in the West Philippine Sea.
On his Twitter account, Austin said he talked with Galvez over the phone.
This marks their second dialogue following his visit to the country.
"We discussed recent concerning developments in the South China Sea and reiterated our unwavering mutual defense commitments," he wrote.
"The United States will always stand by its allies in the face of coercion," Austin added.
I spoke with @dndphl's Sec. Galvez today, just weeks after returning from Manila. We discussed recent concerning developments in the South China Sea and reiterated our unwavering mutual defense commitments. (1/2) https://t.co/Njd5j0K1Wk
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) February 22, 2023
In a separate press statement, US Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said the two officials had discussed the recent laser incident involving the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Chinese Coast Guard (CCG).
"Secretary Austin underscored the United States’ commitment to supporting the lawful rights and operations of the Philippines in the South China Sea, including around the Second Thomas Shoal, which the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal unequivocally ruled is a part of the Philippine exclusive economic zone," Ryder said.
He said the US Defense Secretary reaffirmed that the US will invoke its mutual defense commitments stipulated under the 1951 US-Philippines mutual defense Treaty once the Philippines is attacked by external armed forces.
Alongside this, US Pentagon Press Secretary said the two officials talked about the opportunities to expand security cooperation with like-minded nations such as Japan.
"They concluded the call by committing to advance an ambitious set of initiatives leading up to the 2+2 Ministerial in Washington, D.C., this spring as the United States and the Philippines rapidly modernize alliance cooperation," he said.
