HINDI pa umano napapanahon na gamitin ng Pilipinas ang Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) nito sa Estados Unidos sa naganap na panunutok ng laser light ng China Coast Guard (CCG) sa Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sa West Philippine Sea

Ayon kay Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. lalo lamang magiging tensyonado ang sitwasyon kapag ginawa ito ng Pilipinas ngayon.

“If we activated that, what we are doing is escalating the intensifying the tensions in the area and I think that would be counterproductive. Besides, despite the fact that it was a military-grade laser that was pointed at our Coast Guard, I do not think that that is sufficient for it to trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty,” ani Pangulong Marcos.

“So we are in constant contact, of course, with our treaty partners, not only with the United States but also our ASEAN partners and our partners here in Asia and that I think is the better recourse rather to go directly to the Mutual Defense Treaty, which again, I am very concerned would provoke the tensions rather than cool the tensions down,” sabi ng Pangulo.

Noong Pebrero 6 ay ginamitan ng CCG ng military-grade laser light and mga tauhan ng BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403) na tumutulong sa resupply mission ng Philippine Navy sa Ayungin Shoal sa est Philippine Sea.

Nagdulot umano ng pansamantalang pagkabulag sa mga tauhan ng PCG ang ginawa ng CCG.

Ayon sa Pangulo ipinatawag nito ang Ambassador ng China upang ipaalala na hindi ito ang napagkasunduan niya ay ni Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“Actually, I said we have to find a way around this because if we are such close friends such as China and the Philippines, these are not the kind of incidents that we should be talking about between the President and the Ambassador to the Philippines from China,” dagdag pa ng Pangulo. “And I reminded him that this was not what we agreed upon with President Xi (Jinping) when I visited him in Beijing.”

Umaasa si Pangulong Marcos na magkakaroon ng maayos na paraan upang resolbahin ang problema.