Philippines eyes stronger US defense ties at ASEAN talks

MACTAN, Cebu — The Philippines will prioritize strengthening its defense alliance with the United States during the ASEAN defense meetings in Cebu, with discussions expected to focus on military modernization and capability building, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Tuesday.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is confirmed to attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), which will bring together defense officials from Southeast Asia and the bloc's dialogue partners.

DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said strengthening the Philippines' longstanding alliance with Washington remains a key priority during bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the meetings.

“Of course, strengthening our alliance, that's the broad aspect,” Andolong said when asked about Manila's priorities in its bilateral relations with the United States.

“But it will probably go down to the operational levels, in terms of especially the U.S. is a strong partner in terms of our modernization, and probably it will go along those lines, as well as future capacity and capability building,” he added.

The meetings are also expected to provide opportunities for bilateral and multilateral discussions on deterrence, defense partnerships and greater burden-sharing across the region.

Andolong, however, said specific agreements or outcomes could not yet be disclosed because they would depend on discussions between the participating officials.

He said Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is expected to provide further details during his turnover address Thursday, 29 October.

The Philippines will also host an ASEAN-plus-one Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting with the United States and conduct arrival honors for Japan's defense minister.

On Thursday, arrival honors for ADMM-Plus dialogue partners will precede the formal handover of the ADMM chairmanship from the Philippines to Singapore.