Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said there is a possibility that the Philippines could lose momentum in its efforts to safeguard the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following the 2028 elections.

“It cannot be said that there is no chance; there really is a chance,” Teodoro said during the Saturday News Forum, in response to a question about the possibility of the Philippines losing ground in its efforts to protect its territory following the 2028 elections.

Under the current administration, the Defense Secretary noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had institutionalized mechanisms, particularly within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to ensure the continuity of the country’s programs to strengthen its sovereignty and territorial defense.

Teodoro, however, said there could be a “change of momentum” depending on who assumes the presidency, stressing that such a shift could be “dangerous” to the country’s efforts to strengthen its resilience in protecting national territory.

He declined to conclude that there is no possibility of changes to the country’s territorial protection efforts following the 2028 elections, noting that the elected Philippine president has control over the country’s foreign policy.

“There is a danger, or the danger is that it may not be reversed, but the effort may slow down,” Teodoro pointed out.