Not yet time to invoke PH-US treaty over...

MDT at this time would only be “counterproductive.”

“It is because if we activate that, what we are doing is escalating, intensifying the tensions in the area,” Marcos said, adding that the Philippine government is in “constant contact with our treaty partners,” such as the United States and other countries in the Asian region.

“And that I think is the better recourse rather than to go directly to the Mutual Defense Treaty which again, I am very concerned would provoke the tensions rather than cool the tensions down,” he said. The MDT, signed in 1951, is an agreement between the Philippines and the United States to defend each other in case of an armed attack on a public vessel, troops or an airship.

Serious concern Marcos has summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to Malacañang to express “serious concern over the increasing frequency and intensity of actions” by the Chinese against the Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fisherfolk.

“I said that the laser-pointing incident was only a part of what we are seeing as intensifying or escalating of the actions of the militia, marine militia of China, the coast guard of China, and the navy of China,” he said.

“So we are hoping that we can find a better way rather than these incursions into our maritime territory and the rather aggressive acts that we have been seeing in the past few weeks and months,” he added.

The president said he reminded Huang that Beijing’s incursions in the South China Sea were not consistent with what he and Xi discussed in Beijing in January when they agreed to establish a direct communication line to prevent “miscommunication and