The Department of National Defense (DND) is reevaluating its defense agreements with countries that do not support the Philippines’ territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), according to DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
“Our engagements have a strategic bent in mind and are all based initially on the acceptance of UNCLOS and the Philippine position in the WPS and the South China Sea,” Teodoro said during a press conference on Wednesday.
He added, “We are also in the process of reviewing agreements with countries that do not support our claims and do not contribute to our defense and foreign policy objectives.”
In a separate ambush interview, Teodoro disclosed that the Philippines currently maintains around 50 defense memorandums of agreement with various nations.
“We have a host of existing defense agreements. Some are dormant. Some involve countries whose interests may not necessarily align with ours. So we will review how to move forward with these agreements,” he said.
Teodoro attributed the review to a broader management evaluation of DND operations. “I took a deep dive into all our systems—from international alliances to logistics, infrastructure, strategic reviews, and defense education. This review is one of the outcomes of that process,” he explained.
No specific deadline has been set for the completion of the review.
As part of the country’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its defense posture, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is also planning to establish a new “Strategic Defense Command,” which is expected to become operational in 2025.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said on Wednesday evening that while there is no fixed timeline yet, the command is expected to begin provisional operations within the year.
The creation of the Strategic Defense Command comes amid the growing number of joint military exercises between the AFP and foreign allies, such as the annual “Balikatan” and “Salaknib” drills with the U.S. military.
AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the new command will take over responsibility for coordinating these joint exercises. “We are setting up the Strategic Defense Command, which will be in charge of exercises with our allies and partners, so we sharpen the knife, improve the systems, and enhance our responsiveness,” Brawner said during the AFP’s first-ever Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) exercise.
Currently, joint exercises are managed by the AFP Education, Doctrine, and Training Command. The planned Strategic Defense Command will initially operate on a provisional basis until it is formally established and activated.