The Philippine government welcomed a newly introduced resolution in the United States Senate that reaffirms the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the two nations and condemns China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

In a statement over the weekend, National Security Adviser, Secretary Eduardo Año, welcomed Senate Resolution No. 409, authored by U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts and backed by a bipartisan group of senators. 

Año said the resolution not only underscores the 74-year-old defense pact between Manila and Washington, but also sends “a clear signal that the world is watching and the Philippines is not alone.”

“The resolution’s recognition that the MDT covers any attack on Philippine forces, vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea underscores the enduring strength of our alliance and the resolve to stand together against illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive (ICAD) actions,” Año stressed. 

The measure comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with Chinese maritime forces rampant harassment, blockades, and unsafe maneuvers against Philippine vessels and fishermen operating in the WPS, the portion of the South China Sea that falls within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Año likewise lauded the U.S. Senate's call for “appropriate and necessary actions” to counter Chinese escalation. 

“In the face of continued harassment, blockades, and dangerous maneuvers against  Philippine public vessels and fishermen in our own waters, we welcome the  resolution’s call for the US to take appropriate and necessary actions to counter  Chinese escalation,” he said. 

The resolution encourages increased joint patrols, military training, cybersecurity cooperation, and expanded U.S. support for the Philippines’ defense modernization efforts—all aimed at strengthening deterrence and maintaining freedom of navigation in the region.

“The Philippines will continue to defend what is rightfully ours,” Año asserted, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the landmark 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling in The Hague, and Philippine domestic laws as legal foundations for the country’s maritime claims.

The resolution came in time of the 74th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty, a cornerstone of the Philippines-U.S. alliance since it was signed in 1951.

“As we commemorate the 74th year of the MDT, we reaffirm that our alliance with the United States is strong, our commitment to peace is unwavering, and our determination to safeguard regional peace and security is absolute,” Año said.

The Treaty’s Article IV stated that the two countries committed to helping each other in the event of an attack on one party.