Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday emphasized the need to strengthen cross-regional security cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries, amid escalating tensions between China and the United States and growing vulnerabilities in global infrastructure.
Addressing defense and security officials at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Teodoro advocated for enhanced collaboration through joint strategic dialogues, including trilateral or quadrilateral summits among regional blocs, to address shared security challenges.
“To this end, we must strengthen ASEAN and leverage its dialogue partnerships, including those with the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council,” he said.
“Another potential area of convergence is the development of shared legal frameworks and cooperative enforcement,” the defense official added.
Teodoro also advocated for broader participation of United Nations member states in the Security Council, stressing the need to limit the use of the veto power, which he said “may serve as a hindrance” to the interests of smaller nations.
“For all its shortcomings, there is no preferable alternative to the rules-based order, especially for the security, prosperity, and survival of smaller states like the Philippines,” he added.
Teodoro’s remarks come amid intensifying U.S.-China rivalry, which has increasingly shaped the regional security landscape. The Department of Defense warned that this dynamic risks framing the legitimate actions of smaller states as merely serving the interests of major powers.
“As if we are mere pawns with no strategic agency of our,” he said, “In that spirit, I would like to reiterate that our position on the West Philippine Sea is not a function of Sino-American strategic rivalry. Instead, it is caused by the overreach of the Chinese Communist Party.”
The Philippines won a landmark 2016 ruling from an international tribunal invalidating China’s claims in the West Philippine Sea. However, China has refused to recognize the ruling and continues to assert its claims, favoring “friendly consultation” despite repeated incursions.
Under President Marcos Jr., the Philippines has filed over 150 diplomatic protests against China.
