US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday assured the Philippines of continued US “ironclad” support amid rising tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea. Blinken, who was in Manila for a two-day visit, said the disputed sea was an important waterway not only for the Philippines, but for the region, the United States and the world. “These waterways are critical to the Philippines, to its security, to its economy,” he told a press conference in Manila after a meeting with Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo. “They’re also critical to the interests of the region, the Unite States a…