‘Philippines role unique in West Pacific conflicts’

US INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND, Hawaii — The Philippines has great geographic significance in terms of any conflict that occurs in the Western Pacific, a United States defense official said.

The administration of President Donald Trump, the official said, signaled a strong relationship with the Philippines when US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made his inaugural visit to the Philippines in March as part of his first trip to the Indo-Pacific region to meet with President Marcos and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

“The ability to operate, maintain, sustain any number of forces, whether it is US or coalition or bilateral relationship, the Philippines provides unique footprint to do that,” the official told a group of journalists in a security briefing here at the Indo-Pacific Command headquarters.

“The administration wanted to signal our strong relationship with the Philippines, I think for two reasons. It is a long-standing alliance with an overwhelming number of common interests and common values in place,” the official said.

The official added that it is also an important message to China that “we stand by our allies.”

The strengthening of trilateral cooperation between the United States, the Philippines and Japan is a significant strategic move to institutionalize the deterrence and response capabilities of US allies and partners, especially to protect the territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea and East China Sea.