Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Sailors aboard BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) wave at USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) during a replenishment-at-sea simulation exercise on Oct. 31, 2025. Jesse Cruzat, ABS-CBN News

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Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761907042581viber_image_2025-10-31_17-06-27-755.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sailors aboard BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) wave at USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) during a replenishment-at-sea simulation exercise on Oct. 31, 2025. <em>Jesse Cruzat, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippines and the United States have launched a new bilateral initiative called “Task Force Philippines,” designed to strengthen cooperation against security threats and acts of aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.</p><p>The announcement was made by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Malaysia.</p><p>“Our alliance has never been stronger. Our mutual defense treaty is the bedrock of that. We share concerns about China’s coercion in the South China Sea, particularly recently in Scarborough Shoal,” said Hegseth.</p><p>“We don’t seek confrontation. But of course, we are ready to protect our interests, individually and mutually. And that is why, we are publicly announcing the Task Force Philippines here with you today, which will be another step in our cooperation.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/27/philippine-troops-drive-out-chinese-vessels-involved-in-destructive-fishing-in-ayungin-1257"><strong>Philippine troops drive out Chinese vessels involved in destructive fishing in Ayungin</strong></a></div><p>Hegseth explained that the new initiative seeks to improve “interoperability” and “preparedness for contingencies” between the two militaries so they may “decisively respond to crisis or aggression and re-establish deterrence in the South China Sea.”</p><p>Teodoro, for his part, underscored that defending international law serves the interest of the entire global community.</p><p>“Freedom of navigation, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty are not only important for us but for the whole world,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761907101844viber_image_2025-10-31_17-06-36-736.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">HMAS Ballarat (FFH155) of the Royal Australian Navy participates in an exercise in the West Philippine Sea. <em>Jesse Cruzat, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>PH EXPANDS DEFENSE PARTNERSHIPS</strong></div><p>The Philippines continues to deepen and expand its alliances with like-minded nations that share the same commitment to upholding international law, amid China’s increasing assertiveness within the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).</p><p>To date, the Philippines has defense pacts with four countries: the United States, Australia, Japan, and most recently, New Zealand.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/24/marcos-oks-vfa-talks-between-ph-and-france-1913"><strong>Marcos OKs VFA talks between PH and France, says Teodoro</strong></a></div><p>The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and New Zealand was signed on April 30 and awaits ratification by the Senate.</p><p>Despite this, New Zealand’s defense cooperation with the Philippines has been steadily expanding since its first naval visit in 2023, followed by participation in a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA).</p><p>On Friday, October 31, New Zealand’s largest naval vessel, the HMNZS Aotearoa, returned to Manila for a three-day goodwill visit, underscoring Wellington’s growing defense engagement with the Philippines and its commitment to upholding the rule of international law at sea.</p><p>The visit includes a series of meetings and joint exercises with the Philippine Navy.</p><p>“This goodwill visit by the ship shows how keen and delighted New Zealand is to increase our activities and strengthen our relationship with the defense sector,” said New Zealand Ambassador Catherine McIntosh during the ship’s arrival ceremony.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1984194436390343075&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-10-31T10%3A04%3A48.702232%3A8636e06b-11d3-4b27-ac70-ec1e1db70796%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=e273a3aa8580fa15559f663fb8d6a8a6e4980d88&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:490px;height:591px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1984194436390343075"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>The Aotearoa is a Polar-Class replenishment ship designed to provide logistics and fuel support to warships. It can operate in extreme polar conditions and regularly participates in anti-submarine, replenishment, and humanitarian operations.</p><p>“This part of the world is important to New Zealand. We’ve got our friends in this part of the world and we’re gonna operate with them. We come on these deployments to operate in this part of the world, to train with our friends,” said Commander Rob Welford of HMNZS Aotearoa.</p><p>McIntosh also reaffirmed New Zealand’s support for the international maritime order.</p><p>“New Zealand urges all parties to abide by international rules and norms, and including UNCLOS, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/31/ph-us-australia-new-zealand-hold-joint-naval-drills-in-west-philippine-sea-1723"><strong>PH, US, Australia, New Zealand hold joint naval drills in West Philippine Sea</strong></a></div><p>Since January, the Philippines has hosted at least five foreign naval visits, including ships from the United States, Japan, India, France, and the United Kingdom.</p><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier expressed concern over China’s continuing violations of Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its own waters, while thanking allied nations for their sustained support.</p><p>Negotiations for additional defense agreements are ongoing with France, Canada, and the United Kingdom.</p>

<p>The Philippines and the United States have launched a new bilateral initiative called “Task Force Philippines,” designed to strengthen cooperation against security threats and acts of aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.</p>

The Philippines and the United States have launched a new bilateral initiative called “Task Force Philippines,” designed to strengthen cooperation against security threats and acts of aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.

US, PH launch ‘Task Force Philippines’ as New Zealand Navy ship docks in Manila

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US, PH launch ‘Task Force Philippines’ as New Zealand Navy ship docks in Manila

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 31, 2025 06:45 PM PHT

Read More:

Philippines

United States

US

New Zealand

Hegseth

Teodoro

China

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

Scarborough Shoal

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