The Philippine National Police Chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin, Jr. joined Lieutenant General Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., Army Commanding General, together with Lieutenant General Connor Anthony David Canlas, Philippine Air Force; Major General Francisco Ariel A. Felicidario III, Chief AFP Special Operations Command Chief; and Major General Charlton Sean Gaerlan, Philippine Marine Corps Commandant, to attend the 2022 Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) at the US Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters in Camp H. M. Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 27, 2022.
On August 30, 1951, the United States and the Philippines signed a Mutual Defense Treaty which paved the way to a historic relationship between the two countries. Its primary objective is to protect each other’s interest by supporting one another forming a collective defense towards the attainment of a safer, more secured and peaceful communities as far as national security is concerned.
This treaty led to the creation and establishment of the Mutual Defense Board in 1958 followed by the Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) in 2006. These boards form the annual MDB-SEB and aim to coordinate, share and innovate significant frameworks relative to defense and security cooperation between the two countries, the United States and the Philippines.
Held annually since 1958, the boards provide a venue for strategic discussions on shared security topics. The members of the board are the United States and the Philippine Service commanders, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Joint Interagency Task Force- West and the U. S. Coast Guard – Pacific Area.
Since then, the two countries represented by its military leaders meet annually to come to agreement on various significant defense and security engagements which will strengthen its partnership and alliance relative to addressing issues on national security like counterterrorism, maritime security, cyber security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and other security issues.
Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, led the 2022 Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB). Following the success of the said meeting, both parties agree to have at least 496 joint-defense and security engagements for Calendar Year 2023, of which, 274 are for the Mutual Defense Board, while 222 for the Security Engagement Board, way higher than that of Calendar Year 2021 which has a total of 253 events.
At least 15,000 US military personnel are expected to be involved in the various MDB and SEB drills in 2023 which include the annual “Balikatan” or shoulder-to-shoulder exercises, majority of those will take place in the Philippine territories.
“Our Mutual Defense Treaty is central to our relationship with the Philippines as friends and allies. This relationship is possible because of our shared values, including our commitment to a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” Admiral Aquilino reiterated.
Being one of the regular members of the Board, the Philippine National Police also expects similar joint-activities and engagements together with its US counterparts and the Philippine Army, as both countries continue to strengthen their bond relative to the existing bilateral relations.
