Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr on Friday highlighted the strategic significance of the United States’ participation in the Southeast Asia Defense Ministerial Meeting ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
“Sustained U.S. leadership is crucial, especially for the smaller states of Southeast Asia,” Teodoro said.
According to Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong, the meeting brought defense ministers and senior officials from the United States and Southeast Asian nations together to reaffirm commitments to regional peace, security, and stability.
The agenda focused on deepening defense cooperation and addressing shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including maritime security, counterterrorism, cyber threats, and disaster response.
In his intervention, Teodoro welcomed the opportunity to engage with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and fellow defense leaders from the region, extending special recognition to Minister Chan of Singapore, with whom he had a bilateral meeting earlier in the afternoon.
The Defense Secretary expressed optimism toward the strengthening of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US, including deeper cooperation in maritime security, cyber and emerging technologies, and capacity-building initiatives.
“The United States is both a longstanding ally of the Philippines and a reliable friend of ASEAN,” Teodoro said.
Echoing the remarks of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the ASEAN-US Summit last year, he described the “reliable and active presence” of the United States as a “force for peace, security, and stability.”
The DND chief looks to furthering engagements with the defense ministers present at the upcoming ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus meetings this November.
