LAPU-LAPU CITY — Southeast Asian nations must strengthen their unity and defense cooperation to navigate an increasingly fragmented international environment, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Wednesday, as regional defense leaders gathered in Cebu with United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Teodoro delivered the call during the opening of the 20th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), which the Philippines is hosting under the theme “Navigating Our Future Together.”
“First, in a fragmenting world, our internal stability and intra-Asean unity are vital, perhaps even in the future existential,” Teodoro said.
He said Asean members must protect the bloc’s central role in regional affairs by respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolving disputes peacefully and rejecting threats, or the use of force.
“We must therefore not allow our differences to divide us from within. And where such differences exist, rather, including in the South China Sea, we shall settle them through peaceful and legal means,” he said.
Teodoro also welcomed efforts by Cambodia and Thailand to sustain their ceasefire agreement and pursue a lasting peaceful settlement.
He reaffirmed the Philippines’ participation in the process established by the two countries’ leaders through the Asean Observer Team, with due regard for the sensitivities of those involved.
Teodoro urged defense officials to pursue practical initiatives that build confidence among military establishments and produce tangible benefits for their populations.
He cited cooperation through the ADMM and the ADMM-Plus in maritime security and the protection of critical underwater infrastructure, while calling for stronger regional efforts to safeguard food and energy supplies amid disruptions caused by conflicts outside Southeast Asia.
Teodoro also warned of the security implications of a super El Niño, which could disrupt food and water supplies, electricity and connectivity across the region.
He encouraged participants to engage in candid discussions throughout the meetings as Asean confronts shared and emerging security concerns.
Hegseth arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Tuesday night, Oct. 27, aboard a Boeing E-4B Nightwatch aircraft operated by the US Air Force.
The aircraft, known as the “Doomsday Plane,” functions as an airborne command center designed to keep the US government operational during emergencies that disable ground-based command facilities.
Hegseth is attending the Cebu meetings with Assistant Secretary of War for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for South and Southeast Asia Rafael Leonardo.
Defense Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said maritime security, particularly tensions in the West Philippine Sea, would remain a key subject of discussion.
Other agenda items include humanitarian assistance and disaster response, counterterrorism, peacekeeping operations, military medicine, cybersecurity and practical defense operations.
The Philippines is using its 2026 Asean chairmanship to promote stronger regional partnerships and expand cooperation on shared defense concerns.
The meetings also coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which establishes principles for peaceful relations among countries in the region.
On the sidelines of the meetings, Teodoro met Singaporean Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday to discuss regional security challenges, including foreign interference and coercion at sea, according to the Department of National Defense (DND).
Teodoro also highlighted the fundamental principles of the 2016 arbitral tribunal award on the South China Sea, which the DND said could benefit Asean member states.
He promoted the Philippines’ defense partnerships with Japan, Canada, South Korea, Australia, India and New Zealand, particularly opportunities to develop defense capabilities, expand practical cooperation and strengthen supply chain resilience.
The DND said the meeting sought to deepen defense cooperation between the Philippines and Singapore in support of sustained regional stability.
The ADMM and the 13th Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus are scheduled to conclude on Thursday, Oct. 29, with delegates expected to issue a joint statement and consensus.
The Philippines is scheduled to hand over the chairmanship of both regional defense mechanisms to Singapore for 2027.
KAISER JAN FUENTES
