Geline Salac

PH, US tackle joint efforts for deterrence in Indo-Pacific

Article (news)

Ched Rick Gatchalian

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday to discuss defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and to further improve the alliance&#x27;s readiness.</p><p>According to the readout of the meeting released by the US defense department, Hegseth praised the Philippines &quot;for standing up against China&#x27;s aggressive actions targeting lawful Philippine activities in the South China Sea.&quot;</p><p>The conversation, grounded on <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/27/us-defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-arrives-in-ph-for-talks-2206">the secretaries&#x27; meeting in Manila on March 28</a> which reaffirmed the US&#x27; &quot;ironclad&quot; commitment to 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, also celebrated the conclusion of the biggest annual &quot;Balikatan&quot; or shoulder-to-shoulder drills last month.</p><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/21/-shared-adversity-new-weapons-as-philippine-us-forces-launch-balikatan-1135">Balikatan 2025 included air and missile defense simulations</a> for the first time.</p><p>The joint training exercise was also a demonstration of advanced US weapon systems like the Typhon missile system and the highly mobile Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS).</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="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:432px;height:579px;display:block;flex-grow:1" 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=1928401558389043552&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%3A2025-05-31T01%3A25%3A23.423465%3A40098ea0-c983-41f9-867f-e3d2c83f0e35%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=dc3ccc32fc620db6a8726fd7c33f012e2f227a16&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1928401558389043552"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>Teodoro and Hegseth emphasized the importance of partnership and transparency in deterring China.</p><p>They said both countries remain committed to strengthening their defense cooperation.</p><p>Earlier in May, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Romeo Brawner Jr. said military officials of the two countries will already <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/9/ph-us-forces-begin-planning-for-balikatan-2026-1625">start planning for the Balikatan exercises next year.</a></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0_Sg28zIuzE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday to discuss defense cooperation in addressing agression in the Indo-Pacific and further improve the alliance's readiness.</p>

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday to discuss defense cooperation in addressing agression in the Indo-Pacific and further improve the alliance's readiness.