Philippines’ Marcos says soldier death will trigger defense treaty with US

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says a mutual defense treaty with the United States will be invoked if any Filipino service member is killed in an attack by a foreign power. The remarks come amid China’s increasingly coercive actions in the South China Sea.

Marcos spoke to reporters in Manila on Monday upon his return from the US, where he met the leaders of Japan and the US for their first trilateral summit.

Marcos said the Philippines will ramp up security cooperation with its allies and partners. He said the country in recent years has been subjected to illegal, aggressive and…