VietNamNet Bridge - Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario
welcomed a resolution filed before the United States Congress that in effect,
binds Washington to assist the country in time of foreign aggression.
House Resolution No. 352 calls for "a peaceful and collaborative resolution of
maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and its environs and other
maritime areas adjacent to the East Asian mainland."
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chair of the United States House Committee
on Foreign Affairs, introduced the House Resolution on July 15. The House
Resolution also had 27 co-sponsors, notably, 18 Republicans and 9 Democrats.
The Philippines' position calls for a peaceful, multilateral and rules-based
settlement of the East Sea disputes in accordance with international law.
Likewise, it condemns the use of force and overt threats in resolving the
disputes.
In the resolution, certain provisions were highlighted. In particular, one
provision stated that "on 23 June 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton told then visiting Foreign Secretary Del Rosario that ‘we are determined
and committed to supporting the defense of the Philippines.'
It also mentioned that Del Rosario stated that the Philippines is a small
country, but is "prepared to do what is necessary to stand up to any aggressive
action in our backyard."
There was also a provision saying that the United States, on 23 June 2011,
stated that it was ready to provide hardware to modernize the military of the
Philippines.
Earlier, the US Senate approved a resolution introduced by Senator Jim Webb
deploring the use of force by China in the East Sea and calling for a peaceful,
multilateral resolution to maritime territorial disputes in Southeast Asia.
Gulfnews