Teodoro wants to spend more money on defense to strengthen maritime security

Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. said on Friday the Philippines should increase defense spending to between 2% to 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) to strengthen its military and maritime security capabilities, as the government prepares to expand maritime patrols and acquire more defense assets.

Mr. Teodoro said the government will need to restructure its budget to support higher defense spending, noting that resources are limited.

“We have to reform,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Stratbase Institute conference, “More of one means less of the other.”

When asked where this funding can be found, he said, “For some, what I am saying is that we must increase.

Mr. Teodoro also confirmed that the planned transfer of five Japanese warships has been accepted “in principle” and is being worked on, although he declined to give a timeline.

He said the ships will be transferred free of charge, but the Philippines will bear the cost of transportation, personnel training and system integration, as well as investing in new shipyards to support future purchases.

Mr. Teodoro also supported calls for a strong response to China’s recent claims involving Batanes, saying the country’s pushback should be firm as such claims violate international law and Philippine sovereignty.

“In general, our pushback should be strong because, first of all, this is not only a violation of international law … it is also a violation of common sense of the people,” said Mr. Teodoro.

Former Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, meanwhile, challenged China to bring its reported claim over the Batanes Islands before an international court, saying Beijing should prove its claims through legal channels instead of public statements.

“My challenge to China is why they don’t bring this issue to the International Court of Justice that they are the owners of Batanes Island,” Mr. Carpio told the media.

“Go ahead, bring the case to the International Court of Justice. We will meet there. We will abide by the decision,” he added.

At that time, the lawyer of Batanes. Ciriaco B. Gato Jr. rejected the claims, calling the assertion an affront to Philippine sovereignty and the identity of the people of Ivatan.

“Batanes is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. Ivatans are Filipinos,” said Mr. Gato in a statement on Friday, “We are against any manipulation that aims to question or undermine the absolute sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines over our islands.”

Adding, “Any challenge to our images is not just political provocation; it is an affront to who we are that we will not tolerate.”

China’s embassy in the Philippines did not immediately respond to a Viber message seeking comment.

Meanwhile, Mr. Teodoro said the Philippines should use its growing defense partnership to deepen economic and political ties with like-minded countries, saying security cooperation alone will not be enough to support the country’s long-term strategic goals.

“These defense alliances will not be sustainable if these are strictly defense agreements, but they should be broad economic bases and, at the end of the day, political relations,” he said at the Stratbase Institute conference marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 decision.

Mr. Teodoro said the government is changing its defense strategy from one that focuses on internal security and land-based operations to a multi-domain approach that includes only the country’s economic zone, the Philippine Rise and other Philippine maritime areas.

He said the review of the country’s defense landscape identified critical gaps in infrastructure, transportation, defense industries, and military capabilities, underscoring the need for continued investment.

The secretary of defense also called for strong cooperation between the government, businesses, and civil society in building a reliable deterrent, saying that national security does not depend only on the use of the military but also on strong operations, communication networks, critical infrastructure, and strategic industries.

“Without that commitment, therefore we cannot build a credible preventive stance, which at the end of the day must guarantee our rights,” said Mr. Teodoro.

He also described the 2016 arbitral award as a catalyst for the Philippines’ transition to external protection, saying the decision strengthened international support for a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

“It is not a Philippine award, it is a global award because it establishes the scope of UNCLOS and protects it from revision attempts,” he said.

AFP chief Romeo S. Brawner Jr. he said the experience of the military in the past decade has shown that the Philippines must continue to exercise the rights guaranteed by the 2016 resolution of selfishness.

“Rights endure only when they are used,” said Mr. Brawner, adding that this decision provides a solid legal basis that must remain reasonable “not only in legal discourse but also in our actions.”

He said the purpose of the AFP is to prevent conflict through credible preventive measures.

Mr. Brawner said: “A credible deterrence is more than military equipment, it is built on strong forces, operational readiness, trusted relationships, strong institutions, and above all, a national resolve to stand firm in defending what is rightfully ours.”

He also emphasized the importance of maintaining a continuous presence in the West Philippine Sea, saying that all patrols, recovery operations, and joint exercises reinforce the country’s sovereign rights. – Pexcel John Bacon