Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro on Monday laid out Manila’s plans to deter Chinese efforts in the South China Sea during a speech to Manila’s forces stationed in the region.
In his remarks at the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command’s 49th founding anniversary ceremony,Teodoro described the need to procure capabilities and improve force posture in the area that would “actively discourage” malign influence and efforts. The Western Command is the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ unified command responsible for operations at Second Thomas Shoal, Sabina Shoal and the Kalayaan Island Group.
“You are at the spearhead of a controlled laboratory of a multi-domain, multi-threat and interoperable armed force,” Teodoro said. This is the laboratory of the maritime domain, to include operations also on the lateral degree.”
The Philippine defense chief stressed the need for interdiction capabilities to patrol and intercept those intruding into the western exclusive economic zone, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. Deployments from the Philippine Navy to the area include ex-U.S. Navy Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships – which were transferred to the service in 2023 – and Acero-class patrol gunboats. Teodoro also highlighted the need for strategic basing, sustainment and command and control improvements.
Following the ceremony, the Philippine military christened three assault boats, anti-drone guns, special forces diving gear, anti-material rifles and a rigid hull inflatable boat slated for forces stationed in the South China Sea.
While Teodoro did not specify what he meant by “deterrence implements,” numerous Philippine officials have actively voiced Manila’s aspirations to procure the Typhon weapons system to counter China. Also known as Mid-Range Capability, the ground-based Mark 41 vertical launching system is capable of launching SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles. Last year, the Army’s 1st Multi-Domain Task Force deployed a Typhon unit to the Northern Philippines, where it has remained to the chagrin of Chinese officials.
Incidents between Manila and Beijing over contested South China Sea maritime features drastically increased between 2023 and 2024. Tensions came to a head over a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) last June, when Chinese Coast Guard personnel boarded Manila’s vessels and attacked Philippine Navy SEALs.
Teodoro attributed the increasing tensions in the South China Sea to the Chinese Communist Party’s pursuit of “self-aggrandizement.”
While incidents have decreased since last summer, the Philippines is pushing for a new plan dubbed the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept. The plan calls for the Philippine military, which has long focused on internal security operations against communist and radical Islamist elements, to expand its coverage into the aerial and maritime domains surrounding the 7,641 islands in the archipelago. Teodoro said the country needs “each and every inch” of its exclusive economic zone to sustain itself.
A small contingent of U.S. personnel from the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group to the Republic of the Philippines, a contingent based out of the U.S. embassy in Manila, attended the ceremony. Teodoro commended the American personnel and presented an award to recognize the Joint Coordinating Element-West, a bilateral U.S.-Philippine unit, in assisting Philippine forces with “maritime domain awareness, intelligence, training and other activities related to the West Philippine Sea.”
During his final visit to the region last November, former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed the existence of an American task force dedicated to supporting Philippine forces in the South China Sea.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit the Philippines in the coming days, making it the first country he visits in the Indo-Pacific in his new role. Hegseth will meet with host nation forces and forward-deployed U.S. troops, as well as Philippine leadership, according to a Pentagon news release. In a prior call with Teodoro, Hegseth emphasized the importance of “reestablishing deterrence in the South China Sea.”
