| Photo by Simon Infanger on Unsplash
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines clearly signals how vital our alliance with the United States is to the security of our region. There is no doubt that the two-day trip to Manila—Secretary Hegseth’s first trip outside the United States—indicates the continued upward trajectory of the bilateral relations between our two nations.
We were encouraged to hear this during our in-person meeting at the West Wing of the White House last January with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong, and National Security Council Senior Director for Asia Ivan Kanapathy, shortly after President Trump’s inauguration where we reaffirmed the robust ties and the enduring alliance between our two countries.
In preparation for Secretary Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines, I met with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, Dr. Andrew Byers, to discuss closer security cooperation against regional and global challenges. A well-respected figure in the Defense establishment, Dr. Byers has worked in counterproliferation, counterterrorism, homeland security, and technology development. In his current role, he serves as the principal advisor for policy on developing and implementing defense strategies for the South and Southeast Asian region.
During his visit, Secretary Hegseth emphasized that the partnership between the Philippines and the US “not only continues today, but we are doubling down on that partnership. And our ironclad alliance has never been stronger,” he said, highlighting that the key next step would be to “reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.”
He added that these efforts “build on an ongoing $500-million commitment to foreign military financing and other security assistance to support the Philippines’ military modernization. First, we agree that the United States will deploy additional advanced capabilities to the Philippines. “
“The fact that you have come to the Philippines as your first stop is a very strong indication and sends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together, to maintain the peace in the Indo-Pacific region within the South China Sea,” President Marcos remarked during the courtesy call of the US Cabinet official in Malacañang.
The President also lauded its only treaty partner for its continued support for peace, describing the US as “the greatest force for peace” in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the South China Sea.
“As I have told our friends in the media, the US Defense Secretary’s visit only proves that we are part of the overall mutual defense strategy. It also serves as a tacit recognition of our country’s important role in the overall deterrence factor, together with our other allies, such as Japan and Australia, in the Indo-Pacific region.“
“Peace through strength is a very real thing,” the US official said, emphasizing once again that “deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese and that friends need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there’s free navigation.”
As I have told our friends in the media, the US Defense Secretary’s visit only proves that we are part of the overall mutual defense strategy. It also serves as a tacit recognition of our country’s important role in the overall deterrence factor, together with our other allies, such as Japan and Australia, in the Indo-Pacific region.
At the same time, the visit exemplifies the Trump administration’s commitment to strengthening the military ties between the United States and the Philippines, focusing on “deterrence through strength. “This underscores the need for the Philippines to boost the capability of its armed forces and enhance interoperability through joint exercises and other activities.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro highlighted this: “because of the increased interoperability activities, we expect increased rotational presence of like-minded and allied troops in the Philippines. With our strategic basing initiative, we expect a heightened tempo of the Philippine armed forces for external and territorial defense to put in our share of deterrence.”
As I have said on many occasions, we do not wish to instigate any conflict, practicing maximum restraint, pursuing preventive diplomacy, and keeping communication lines open to de-escalate the ongoing tension in the West Philippine Sea, primarily because of the aggression and harassment by the China Coast Guard and militia vessels.
“We don’t seek intervention. President Trump has made it clear we don’t seek war. We don’t seek to nation-build. We don’t seek to use chess pieces and move them around the board. All we seek is peace. All we seek is freedom and cooperation and mutual benefit. And we find that in friends like our friends in the Philippines,” Secretary Hegseth underscored.
In the same vein, he sternly warned: “Do not mistake our friendship, do not mistake our belief in peace and our desire for peace, for a lack of resolve. Too many have. And America still stands strong today and will continue in the future,” he said, adding that “a long line of countries in the past have attempted to test US resolve. We are resolved at this moment to work with our partners to reestablish the warrior ethos, rebuild our military and deterrence, and come alongside our allies and partners, first and foremost, in this region.”
Let me be clear: while we seek to resolve conflict through diplomacy and wish to pursue good relations, no amount of coercive actions and misleading comments from China can undermine the enduring partnership between the United States and the Philippines, which has been reinforced over the years through agreements such as the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. In other words, our alliance with the US is – and will continue to be – ironclad.
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