It seems like a nothingburger to me, consider this photo from the event:
What good is "ready to aid Philippine" while this is happening? Is it like how US is ready to defend Japan under their security treaty and says Diaoyu Island is covered by the treaty, and the "help" consists of US going "look, he's there, do something!" whenever CCG has ships patrolling those islands? (which these days is something like 360 days out of 365 a year)
Does US have the correct resources to fight in grey zone warfare in SCS? If not what then? Open war with USN? In that bath tub of an area under the gaze of PLARF?
If all they do is talk and publish photos like this in the media without actually doing anything about it, who's looking weak then?