Philippine president continues talks in Washington

WASHINGTON

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday continued talks in Washington, D.C., where he met key officials to discuss bilateral ties and defense collaboration.

Early in the day, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met with Marcos at the Pentagon, where they reaffirmed the two countries' commitments to the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and discussed shared security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Our storied Alliance has never been stronger or more essential than it is today. Together, we remain committed to the mutual defense treaty," Hegseth told reporters ahead of the closed-door meeting.

Marcos, for his part, said Hegseth's visit to the Philippines in March was an "important symbol" and sent "very clear message" about the continuing partnership.

He added the mutual defense treaty with the US continues to be the "cornerstone" of the bilateral relationship, "especially when it comes to defense and security cooperation."

Later, Marcos met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to underscore the importance of the US-Philippines Alliance to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

"They reaffirmed their shared commitment to deterrence and reinforcing freedoms of navigation and overflight in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific," State Department said in a statement.

The president arrived Sunday in Washington, DC for a three-day official visit, aiming to push for a bilateral trade agreement and discuss defense collaboration with US President Donald Trump, with whom he is going to meet on Tuesday.

Marcos’ visit will focus on negotiating the 20% tariff imposed on Philippine exports to the US, which is set to take effect on Aug. 1.

The Philippines is a traditional ally of the US, and the two countries enjoy strong economic and military ties. Their security partnership is based on the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.