President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday welcomed United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to Malacañang.

During their meeting, Marcos emphasized that Hegseth’s inclusion of the Philippines in his first overseas trip is “a very strong indication and sends a very strong message of the commitment” between the two countries, especially in maintaining the peace in the Indo-Pacific Region within the South China Sea.

“I know the work that we will do in the time that you have here, brief as it is, will be extremely productive and very, very important for us as we chart our way into the future, considering how complicated geopolitics has become,” he said.

For his part, Hegseth extended Trump’s regards to Marcos, highlighting his “fondness” for the Philippines.

“I had a chance to speak just a few minutes ago to President Trump who sends his regards to you. He thinks very fondly of this great country, is very committed to the alliance that we have, to the friendship that we have, the cooperation that we have,” Hegseth said.

“And he and I both want to express the ironclad commitment we have to the mutual defense treaty and to the partnership, economically, militarily, which our staffs have worked on diligently for weeks and weeks and months,” he added.

The US defense chief shared that he had done some physical training with Filipino troops in the US military and they were in “great shape.” Hegseth had served in the Army National Guard in the Middle East.

Hegseth said he will engage with the Philippines’ Department of National Defense and spend time with American soldiers in the country for a “meaningful military-to-military cooperation.”

He underscored that peace through strength is important for countries, particularly in areas affected by geopolitics.

“Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the Communist Chinese, and friends need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there’s free navigation,” Hegseth said.

“Whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea, we recognize that your country has stood very firm in that location and in defense of your nation,” he added.

Marcos thanked Hegseth for his visit and the US’ friendship towards the Philippines.

“Being a friend to the United States is something that is inherent with most Filipinos, considering the relationship that we have had over a hundred years in various forms. And you are our only treaty partner and continue to be the supporter for peace in this part of the world,” the President said.

Assurance of support

Meanwhile, for House Speaker Martin Romualdez, this landmark visit of Hegseth to the Philippines was an assurance of a continued robust defense and security alliance of America to the country in the face of the rising geopolitical tensions in the SCS.

“The high-level discussions between Secretary Hegseth and Philippine officials reflect a unified vision: to fortify our defense cooperation and preserve the principles of freedom of navigation and respect for international norms,” the House chief averred. 

Romualdez also expressed hope that Hegseth’s trip would be a “catalyst for renewed collaboration” as the Philippines and US jointly head toward their shared vision of a “free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific” amid the persistent aggressiveness posed by China and its militia vessels. 

The US, along with other allies, has been a key partner of the Philippines in condemning Beijing’s dangerous maneuvers over its vast territorial claims in the SCS. 

The Philippines and the US are bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which can be invoked in the event of an armed attack on Philippine forces, public vessels, or aircraft of an external party.

China has territorial claims in nearly the entire SCS, which overlaps the WPS, notwithstanding a 2016 arbitral ruling that deemed its sovereignty assertion invalid and baseless. The ruling affirmed the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone in the WPS.

However, Chinese vessels blatantly disregard the verdict by continuously hitting the Philippine resupply boats, which adds to a series of its past attacks, including the military-grade laser pointing, missile deployment and collusion of boats, among others.

The series of aggressive confrontations between the Philippines and China continue to occur, notwithstanding their pact in July to deescalate their maritime tensions on the contested waterway.

America has been consistent in assisting and providing military support to the Philippines amid the ongoing aggressive actions by Beijing in the highly contested WPS.

The Philippines and the US are bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which can be invoked in the event of an armed attack on Philippine forces, public vessels, or aircraft of an external party.

Under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines gave US troops expanded military access by increasing the number of Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDCA) sites. Signed in 2014, EDCA is a pact between the Philippines and the US that deepens the defense cooperation of the MDT.