DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. warned that a slowdown in the implementation of the country’s defense policy could weaken its ability to resist Chinese aggression and expansionism, and that the 2028 elections would be critical to the Philippines’ security posture.
Teodoro said the country could not afford delays in building up its defense capabilities amid a rapidly changing geopolitical and technological environment.
“The 2028 elections is very, very critical to the future of Philippine defense and security policy,” Teodoro said during a virtual interview with the Defense Press Corps.
He cautioned that even without a formal reversal of existing policies, slowing down efforts to strengthen the country’s ability to resist Chinese pressure could undermine its defenses.
Teodoro said the Philippines was already moving too slowly in building up its capabilities and could fall further behind if implementation were delayed.
He also warned that reversing the country’s policy would damage its credibility with like-minded countries, particularly those supporting Manila’s position on the South China Sea arbitration ruling and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
A future leader, he said, should be fully committed to building a resilient country that would not become overly dependent on China.
