DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. on Thursday urged Southeast Asian countries and their dialogue partners to uphold international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, amid regional security challenges.
“Our functional cooperation must remain rooted in mutual respect and adherence to international law, including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Mr. Teodoro said in his opening remarks at the 13th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, livestreamed on Facebook.
He also called for stronger cooperation on maritime security, food and energy security, and the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. He urged participating countries to protect migrant workers and seafarers caught in conflicts.
“The international order must have a special obligation to protect migrant workers and seafarers in recognition of their vital contributions to the global economy and the way of life of the countries wherein they serve,” he said.
Mr. Teodoro also noted that ASEAN defense ministers signed two outcome documents on Wednesday commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the 20th anniversary of the ADMM.
Meanwhile, Philippine and Japanese defense chiefs on Wednesday opposed China’s unilateral attempts to change the status quo through force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, according to a joint statement released by the Department of National Defense.
Mr. Teodoro and Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro expressed serious concerns over China’s coercive activities around Japan and what the statement described as the “continuation and intensification of dangerous, coercive activities by China against the Philippines” in the South China Sea.
The two officials also agreed to pursue the transfer of Japan’s first Abukuma-class destroyer to the Philippine Navy at the earliest possible time, following its expected decommissioning in the coming years. They also discussed transferring one TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines by the end of Japan’s fiscal year 2027.
Also on Wednesday, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Mr. Teodoro to discuss security cooperation, alliance modernization and defense posture initiatives, according to a statement.
The two officials agreed to launch an alliance command and control modernization initiative to improve real-time bilateral coordination. They also welcomed progress in operationalizing sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, including investments in critical infrastructure and storage facilities.
Mr. Hegseth announced an increase in the US Department of War’s security cooperation funds to accelerate the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization and enhance interoperability along the First Island Chain. — Pexcel John Bacon