Metro Manila, Philippines— The National Maritime Council (NMC) backed the proposal to review the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States.

In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Aug. 28, NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez said the treaty may need review and upgrading in the face of new and evolving challenges.

“Sa akin lang, 1951 pa ‘yung Mutual Defense Treaty. And since then, the strategic landscape has changed so much. So, maybe it’s high time now to review,” Lopez said.

Lopez said any changes on the MDT should be handled by the Department of National Defense.

Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro said the MDT should be interpreted in the face of changing security concerns in the South China Sea.

“We have to tailor our operations to include MDT to meet this dynamism,” he said.

Teodoro said negotiations are going on in reviewing parts of the treaty.

“It should apply because we are getting narrowed down by the wooden definition of armed attack on public vessels, etc., and the public gets fixated on that. So, I think, we should broaden the scope of the MDT to face a dynamic adversary,” the defense chief added.

“Is a cyberattack as bad as an armed attack? I think it is. Why do we fixate on attack? Why don’t we concentrate on deterrence on the MDT?” Teodoro said.

The 1951 MDT took effect just a few years after the country’s liberation from Japanese occupation and amid rebuilding from the ruins of World War 2.

“Not to broaden the scope of MDT, but to broaden interpretations to make it more dynamic and not to fall into China’s trap,” Teodoro said.

The DND chief did not expound on the changes he wanted to see in the interpretation of the longstanding deal. He also said that he cannot unilaterally change the definition of an “armed attack.”