Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. delivered a strong message to European leaders at the Paris Defense and Strategy Forum 2026, urging the preservation of the rules-based international order.
In his keynote address on 25 March, Teodoro said the Philippines shares European defense officials’ advocacy for greater cross-regional security cooperation.
“We have come to Paris with a call for convergence—between Europe and the United States, on the one hand, and between Europe and Asia, on the other—to preserve the rules-based international order. I do not claim any originality in this because this echoes what happened in Singapore during last year’s Shangri-La Dialogue,” he said.
He added that the Philippines is grateful to France and other “like-minded partners” in Europe for their support for international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea.
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of this historic award. This landmark ruling affirmed UNCLOS as the peremptory document that defines maritime entitlements, and no amount of contrivance or distortion can derogate from it,” Teodoro stressed.
“Yet the People’s Republic of China, upon which this award is legally binding, not only continues to ignore it but is actively waging a campaign of misinformation and disinformation at all levels to nullify it,” the DND chief said.
According to Teodoro, China’s activities in this sphere are well publicized globally due to the transparency initiative in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea, which several countries, including the Philippines, have adopted.
“Even in domestic issues and politics, China continues to wage a campaign to undermine our determination to pursue our rightful claims under international law. Yet my presence here signals the commitment of the Marcos administration not to waver, but to stay the course for our own people and especially for future generations,” Teodoro explained.
Against this backdrop, he emphasized that cross-regional convergence is essential to upholding international law and safeguarding smaller countries, especially archipelagic states whose communities rely on the bounty of the sea.
“By convergence, we should interpret it in the broad sense—unity of purpose—where we can either interoperate in one area or operate in our respective areas to achieve a common goal, using our unique capabilities, expertise, and areas of influence,” he added.