Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday urged Southeast Asian nations to strengthen regional unity and defense cooperation as they confront growing security challenges and an increasingly fragmented international environment.
Speaking at the opening of the 20th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Cebu, Teodoro stressed the importance of respecting sovereignty, protecting territorial integrity and resolving disputes through peaceful and legal means.
“First, in a fragmenting world, our internal stability and intra-ASEAN unity are vital, perhaps even in the future existential,” he said.
The Philippines is hosting the meeting under the theme “Navigating Our Future Together,” with United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth joining regional defense leaders.
The ADMM and the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus are scheduled to conclude Thursday, October 29, with delegates expected to issue a joint statement and consensus.
Teodoro warned that internal divisions could undermine ASEAN’s regional role, particularly amid tensions in the South China Sea.
“We must therefore not allow our differences to divide us from within. And where such differences exist, rather, including in the South China Sea, we shall settle them through peaceful and legal means,” he said.
He welcomed efforts by Cambodia and Thailand to maintain their ceasefire and pursue a lasting settlement, reaffirming the Philippines’ participation in the process through the ASEAN Observer Team.
Teodoro also called for practical cooperation in maritime security, protection of critical underwater infrastructure, and safeguarding food and energy supplies.
He warned that a super El Niño could disrupt regional food and water supplies, electricity and connectivity.
Philippine Defense Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said maritime security, particularly tensions in the West Philippine Sea, would remain a key agenda item.
“The Secretary always said that the West Philippine Sea will always be part of the discussion. It would be no different,” Andolong said.
Other topics include humanitarian assistance and disaster response, counterterrorism, peacekeeping, military medicine, cybersecurity and defense operations.
Hegseth arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Tuesday night, October 27, aboard a US Air Force Boeing E-4B Nightwatch aircraft, known as the “Doomsday Plane” because it can serve as an airborne command center during emergencies.
On the sidelines, Teodoro met Singaporean Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday to discuss regional security concerns, including foreign interference and coercion at sea, the Department of National Defense said.
Teodoro also highlighted the 2016 arbitral tribunal award on the South China Sea and promoted defense cooperation with Japan, Canada, South Korea, Australia, India and New Zealand.
The meetings are part of the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairmanship and coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
📷 ASEAN 2026 PH / Facebook
Comments