Phl, Indonesian defense chiefs boost military ties

The defense chiefs of the Philippines and Indonesia met in Manila on Wednesday to reinforce their countries’ defense partnership through deeper cooperation in logistics, defense industry collaboration, and personnel exchanges.

Indonesian Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin paid an introductory call on Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at a hotel in Mandaluyong City.

According to the Department of National Defense (DND), Sjamsoeddin’s visit to the Philippines is part of his ongoing introductory engagements across Asia and “provided an opportunity for both defense officials to exchange views on regional security, maritime cooperation, and bilateral defense initiatives.”

“The Defense Ministers discussed security developments in the Indo-Pacific region and affirmed their shared interests as archipelagic nations,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.

Andolong added that both leaders acknowledged their countries’ geographical and strategic similarities as an opportunity to further deepen military cooperation “through sustained interaction and engagements at multiple levels.”

In what was their third meeting, Teodoro said the discussions centered on strengthening defense and armed forces collaboration between the two nations, as well as boosting solidarity within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“Well, the commitments remain the same. The general commitments for mutual support, ASEAN solidarity, defense industry cooperation,” Teodoro said in an ambush interview.

During the meeting, Teodoro and Sjamsoeddin also explored opportunities to enhance joint operations between their armed forces in areas such as disaster response, training AFP imams in Indonesia to counter self-radicalization and violent extremism, and the deployment of Filipino medical specialists to support the development of military medicine.

Teodoro expressed interest in learning from Indonesia’s robust indigenous defense production capabilities, in line with Republic Act 12024, or the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act, recently signed into law to boost the Philippine defense industry's capabilities.

Both sides voiced interest in expanding cooperation not only bilaterally but also through multilateral platforms like the Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines (INDOMALPHI) Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA), regional ASEAN initiatives, and possible joint participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions. The Philippines is set to chair ASEAN in 2026.

On the sidelines of the event, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. also met with his Indonesian counterpart, TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto.

The two top military officials affirmed the shared vision of the Philippines and Indonesia in “promoting a stable, secure, and rules-based regional order.”