The Philippines must be prepared that its security alliances may not hold in times of crisis, its ambassador to the US has warned, after a clash between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House cast doubts about Washington’s commitment towards its partners.
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Ambassador Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez said the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr had to “be ready” for any scenario regarding the long-standing alliance between the Philippines and the US.
The heated exchange between Trump and Zelensky ended with the Ukrainian leader walking out without signing a minerals deal that was proposed by Washington. The incident has sparked debates around the world about whether the US could abandon its security alliances with Nato and Asian partners, such as the Philippines.
Mel Sta. Maria, a former dean of Far Eastern University’s school of law, said in a social media post on Saturday: “Clearly, the Philippine government must see this as a warning that the US ‘ironclad’ position to come to the aid of the Philippines in case of foreign military aggression in the Asia-Pacific pursuant to a standing treaty may no longer hold.”
Romualdez also raised such a possibility at a conference organised by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Monday, saying: “We have to all be ready for that type of situation.”
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Calling it an “opportunity” to prepare for any eventuality, he added: “It may be some other president in the future. But at the end of the day, each country now has to be ready to be able to beef up its defence, beef up its economic security.”