Pres. Aquino welcomes U.S. Sec. of State John Kerry at the president's hall of Malacanang yesterday. Kerry is in the country to assure the Philippines of the U.S. support to its security concerns, including fast-tracking a deal on expanding U.S. military presence and providing $40 million funding to improve maritime security. He will also visit areas devastated by the Super Typhoon Yolanda. The IRP is the policy which increase the presence of U.S. forces in Philippine territory and is meant for the support of development of a minimum credible defense posture through capability building and combined activities. Kerry urged all parties to lower the intensity and avoid provocations that could potentially escalate into the conflict. Stressing that claimants have the responsibility to clarify and align their territorial claims in accordance to the international law, Kerry further stressed that the U.S. fully supports the resolution of sovereignty disputes through international mechanisms such as the United Nations Conventions of the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).
