Palace still confident US will help PHL on Spratlys row

Malacañang remains confident the United States will come to the Philippines’ aid amid “bullying" from China over the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, by virtue of the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty. But deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace still hopes the row would not come to the point that the Philippines will invoke the MDT. “I haven’t seen the terms of the MDT but as an ally, the US will help kung sakaling dumating sa ganoong punto," she said on government-run dzRB radio. The Philippines and China had traded barbs over recent disputes involving Chinese vessels intruding into Philippine territory. But China had scolded Manila for issuing what Beijing considered as irresponsible statements. The Philippines had filed a diplomatic protest and it is still planning to take the matter to the United Nations and other international forums. Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. had indicated he may raise the matter at the RP-US Defense Meeting. But Valte said, “Hopefully hindi umabot sa ganoon (We hope it will not come to that). We’re committed to the resolution of the issue in the most diplomatic and peaceful way possible," she said. — LBG, GMA News