The ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Manila and the Philippine Foreign Minister, Teodoro Locsin Jr. The representative of the Philippine government received a package of weapons, including 24 MK-82 smart bombs and 100 missiles Guided antitanks, according to the newspaper. Philippine daily inquirer.
The new weapon donation, Locsin said, was a fulfillment of President Donald Trump’s promise to President Rodrigo Duterte during a phone call in April that the weapons will be used against militants. Islamic State (IS) on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines.
“This transition represents our strong, enduring and vital partnership. We hope that our precision guided missile and guided munition will help the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) protect the lives of Filipinos in Mindanao, “said O’Brien.
[VIDEO] Considering that China’s maritime claims are “illegal,” the United States officially rejected the “yellow dock line” in the South China Sea.
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Mr. O’Brien is visiting Manila and plans to discuss issues of mutual interest in the United States and the Philippines, including the issue of the South China Sea. “We welcome the recent statements by President Duterte and Foreign Minister (Locsin) at the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit I attended, calling on all countries, including one. major countries in the region, respect international law in the South China Sea, “said adviser O’Brien.
O’Brien also reaffirmed that the Joint Defense Treaty signed in 1951 still applies to any attack against Philippine forces, aircraft, or ships in the South China Sea.