By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Philippines is seeking to strengthen its defense alliance with the United States as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepares to join regional defense chiefs in Cebu, with military modernization, capability development and security cooperation expected to figure prominently in the discussions.
Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said Tuesday, October 27, that strengthening the bilateral alliance remains a priority as Manila looks to advance its military modernization program with Washington’s support.
“Strengthening our alliance, that’s the broad aspect,” Andolong told reporters, adding that discussions could extend to operational cooperation, particularly in modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
He described the United States as a strong partner in developing the country’s future defense capabilities but said it was too early to identify specific outcomes from Hegseth’s meeting with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
The results, Andolong said, would depend on the discussions between the two officials.
Hegseth’s Cebu visit will be his second trip to the Philippines since becoming Pentagon chief. He first visited Manila in March 2025 during his initial trip to Asia.
At last year’s ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Hegseth and Teodoro announced the establishment of Task Force Philippines, an initiative intended to deter coercion in the South China Sea.
Hegseth has also called on Asian allies to shoulder greater responsibility for their own defense, a position he underscored during his address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore earlier this year.
The South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, is expected to remain on the agenda of the regional defense gathering, according to Andolong.
He said the maritime issue has consistently figured in previous ADMM discussions and is unlikely to be absent from the upcoming meetings.
China’s participation, however, remains uncertain. Andolong said Manila had extended an invitation but had yet to receive confirmation on whether Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun would attend.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned Monday against attempts to use the gathering to “hijack ASEAN, or create trouble,” without naming any country.
Dong attended the previous two ADMM-Plus meetings and held his first face-to-face talks with Hegseth on the sidelines of last year’s gathering in Kuala Lumpur.
The Cebu meetings also come ahead of US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Shenzhen for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for the third time this year.
ia/xf
