1 month ago
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MANILA, Philippines — United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth underscored the US focus of maintaining a strategic advantage over China and the future of the free world, after speaking to leaders of Japan, Australia, South Korea and the Philippines.
He said the focus is also the Indo-Pacific region, mentioning recent phone calls and meetings he had with leaders of the four countries.
“We want the future of the world to be free,” Hegseth said. “We’re confronting threats in real time, restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, reestablishing deterrence.”
Hegseth reaffirmed last week Washington’s commitment to a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines during a call with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
The defense chiefs held an introductory call to discuss defense cooperation in the US-Philippines alliance.
“The leaders discussed the importance of reestablishing deterrence in the South China Sea, including by working with allies and partners,” according to the readout of the Feb. 5 call between Hegseth and Teodoro.
They also discussed enhancing the capability and capacity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“The secretary reaffirmed the ironclad US commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and its importance for maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. He pledged to remain in close coordination with Secretary Teodoro,” the statement read.
The Philippines welcomed Monday the first meeting between President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as the first summit bodes well for the realization of shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“The Philippines looks forward to continue working with the United States and Japan, through our trilateral partnership, in implementing the Trilateral Joint Vision Statement, including expanding our cooperation in enhancing economic resilience and security, promoting inclusive growth and development, addressing climate change and maritime cooperation,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.
Trump hosted Ishiba at the White House for their first US-Japan summit on Feb. 7. The two leaders committed to “pursue a new golden age for US-Japan relations that upholds a free and open Indo-Pacific and brings peace and prosperity to a violent and disorderly world.”
The two leaders charted out a path to advance US-Japan cooperation for peace, growth and prosperity, and coordination in the Indo-Pacific.
The Philippines, the US and Japan vowed to continue working together to enhance and deepen trilateral ties, particularly in the areas of economic, maritime and technology cooperation.
Another joint exercise
Just seven days after this year’s very first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) under the new Trump administration, the military forces of the Philippines, the United States and Canada again sailed the waters of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) yesterday to hold combined naval drills within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the event again featured naval and air force units of participating nations operating together to enhance cooperation and interoperability among the allied nations.
He said the combined armed and defense forces of the Philippines, the US and Canada demonstrate “a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific” in this iteration of the MMCA.
Brawner, amid the continuing presence of Chinese military, coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the WPS, said the activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other countries.
“This underscores our shared commitments to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he declared.
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad did not provide details about the latest combined maritime exercise, including what naval assets are being utilized by the participating countries.
However, he told reporters that the latest event was held in the operational area or jurisdiction of the Northern Luzon Command in the WPS.
Earlier this week, the DFA announced that the Philippines and Canada are currently negotiating the Philippines-Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA).
The talks reflect an important development following the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation between the Philippines and Canada on Jan. 19, 2024.
“The SOVFA further deepens our bilateral defense relations with Canada and our long-standing friendship with this country. The Philippines and Canada celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2024,” the DFA said.
“The Philippines is committed to further strengthening our defense capabilities and our engagements with key defense partners support our national efforts,” it added.
Earlier this month on Feb. 5, the military forces of the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines also sailed the waters of the WPS with warships and air assets from the four participating nations again carrying out drills and interoperability exercises.
A day before that, the Philippine Air Force and the US Pacific Air Forces also held a joint air patrol and air intercept training event in the area near the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, utilizing two B-1 bombers and three FA-50 fighter jets.
The Department of National Defense and the AFP had repeatedly expressed optimism that strong defense relations between the Philippines and the US will continue under the new Trump administration.
‘Suspicious’
In another development, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that two Chinese vessels, including one used for marine research, were detected sailing in the West Philippine Sea close to the coastline of Luzon.
PCG’s 44-meter patrol ship BRP Cabra spotted both Lan Hao 101, said to be “one of China’s two largest fisheries research ships,” and the 111-meter China Coast Guard (CCG) patrol vessel 3304 less than a hundred nautical miles off the coast of western Luzon, said spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela late Tuesday.
Lan Hai 101 was traversing the West Philippine Sea “approximately 25 nautical miles off the coast of Pangasinan,” while CCG 3304 was seen at “a distance of 78 to 85 nautical miles.”
Personnel onboard BRP Cabra challenged both ships through radio, telling them they violated the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award by navigating within the West Philippine Sea.
Before noon yesterday, Lan Hai 101 was seen at 62 nautical miles off the coast of Babuyan Island, possibly on its way back to China, Tarriela said in an online media briefing.
The ship “turned off its AIS (automatic identification system)” four hours earlier and could no longer be located.
“What is quite suspicious is the movement of Lan Hai, which keeps on entering our contiguous zone and maintaining a distance of 23 to 25 nautical miles from the shore,” he said. – Michael Punongbayan, Ghio Ong
