Supporting the Philippines’ maritime entitlements would uphold international law, enhance Southeast Asia’s access to the Pacific, and strengthen overall regional security, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. emphasized on Monday, August 3.
Teodoro delivered these remarks during his keynote address on “Philippine Perspectives on Regional Security Threats” at the 37th USPACOM Annual International Military Law and Operations Strategic Engagement (MILOPS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Speaking alongside Malaysian Defense Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Teodoro highlighted the Philippines’ position as a crucial bridge between Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
“The Philippines is a Pacific Island country as it is a Southeast Asian one,” Teodoro said.
He noted that while ASEAN remains a Southeast Asian bloc, the Philippines serves as its primary political and legal link to the Pacific region.
“ASEAN has no presence in the Pacific Ocean. It has politically and legally a relation only because the Philippines is a member in good standing and in spirit of ASEAN,” he added.
According to the Department of National Defense (DND), Teodoro focused on the broad implications of security threats on peace, stability, and ASEAN centrality. He reaffirmed that Philippine defense policies are guided by international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Teodoro asserted that member states have a shared interest in backing the Philippines’ maritime rights under UNCLOS and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award—which invalidated China’s expansive claims—ahead of the ruling’s 10th anniversary.
“If ASEAN wants unimpeded access to the Pacific under a regime of UNCLOS and our trust and confidence, it follows that ensuring Philippine entitlements as a whole under UNCLOS and the Arbitral Award is in ASEAN’s interest,” he said.
He stressed that maritime rights carry a broader responsibility beyond national interest.
“We have committed to the rule of international law. Maritime law is not only for the benefit of the Philippines. The Philippines also has the responsibility to steward these rights for Filipinos, ASEAN and the rest of the world,” he added.
Teodoro concluded by emphasizing that unified regional support for the Philippines could serve as a major milestone for the bloc.
“If ASEAN does this, it will be a seminal event in defining ASEAN solidarity and securing ASEAN as a premier advocate of international law. The Filipino people will not forget this defining move because it is rooted in law and not in subterfuge,” he said.