The United States, according to its secretary of war, remains committed to defending its interests and those of its allies and partners.
Secretary Pete Hegseth issued the statement at the meeting of ASEAN defense ministers in Cebu on Oct. 28, wherein he emphasized “peace through strength” and “practical cooperation” between the US and Southeast Asian states.
During bilateral talks with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Hegseth also announced increased security funding with an unspecified amount to help modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
An official statement said the two treaty allies agreed to launch a “command and control modernization sprint” to enhance coordination and strengthen the resilience of the alliance. The two cited progress in operationalizing the sites picked for the bilateral Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
While the Philippines always welcomes help in its military modernization, the country should also note that Hegseth, in his speech at the defense ministers’ meeting, repeated his message at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore earlier this year. In that message, Hegseth had described US President Donald Trump’s vision for “a more stable, secure and prosperous Pacific.”
This vision, Hegseth said, is “built not on wishful thinking but on the backs of strong, self-reliant nations, capable of defending their own sovereignty and contributing to the favorable balance of power that benefits us all.”
The message is consistent with Trump’s wish for its allies worldwide, including those with which it has mutual defense treaties, to invest more in developing self-defense capability and contributing more to defending their respective regions.
Many US treaty allies have been developing self-defense capability long before Trump came to power, but they have ramped up their efforts following Trump’s repeated message.
The Philippines should be doing the same, as its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea are challenged by the region’s superpower China.
Might is not supposed to make right in the international community, but geopolitical developments show this to be more of an ideal rather than reality.
While the Philippines welcomes help from allies and partners, developing credible, deterrent self-defense helps foster mutual respect.