Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. said on Friday that the Philippines should increase defense spending to between 2% to 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) to strengthen its military capabilities and maritime security, as the federal government prepares to expand maritime patrols and receive additional defense assets.
Mr. Teodoro said that the federal government would wish to realign its budget to support higher defense spending, noting that resources are finite.
“We definitely have to realign,” he told reporters on the sideline of the Stratbase Institute conference, “More for one means less for one more.”
Asked if where the funding can get, he said, “It’s as much as any person, all I’m saying is we want to extend.”
Mr. Teodoro also confirmed that the planned transfer of 5 Japanese warships has been accepted “in principle” and is being worked out, although he declined to offer a timeline.
He said that the vessels can be transferred at no costs, however the Philippines would shoulder expenses for transport, crew training and system integration, in addition to spend money on recent naval facilities to support future acquisitions.
Mr. Teodoro also backed calls for a stronger response to China’s latest claims involving Batanes, saying that the country’s pushback must be firm as such assertions violate international law and Philippine sovereignty.
“Naturally, our pushback must be strong because, primary, this just isn’t only a violation of international law… additionally it is a violation of the conventional pondering of the people,” Mr. Teodoro said.
Former Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, meanwhile, challenged China to bring its reported claim over the Batanes Islands before a world court, saying Beijing should prove its assertions through legal channels as a substitute of public statements.
“My challenge to China is why don’t they create that issue to the International Court of Justice that they own the Batanes Island,” Mr. Carpio told reporters.
“Go ahead, bring a case within the International Court of Justice. We are going to meet there. We are going to abide by the ruling,” he added.
Meanwhile, Batanes Rep. Ciriaco B. Gato Jr. rejected the claims, calling the assertions an affront to Philippine sovereignty and the identity of the Ivatan people.
“Batanes is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The Ivatans are Filipinos,” Mr. Gato said in a press release on Friday, “We treat any insinuation that seeks to query or undermine absolutely the sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines over our islands with utmost gravity.”
Adding, “Any challenge to our statues just isn’t merely a geopolitical provocation; it’s an affront to our identity that we are going to not tolerate.”
The Chinese Embassy to the Philippines didn’t immediately reply to a Viber message in search of comments.
Meanwhile, Mr. Teodoro said that the Philippines should leverage its growing defense partnerships to deepen economic and political ties with like-minded countries, arguing that security cooperation alone wouldn’t be enough to sustain the country’s long-term strategic objectives.
“These defense alliances is not going to be sustainable if these are strictly defense alliances, but must be the foundations for more extensive economic and, at the top of the day, political relations,” he said on the Stratbase Institute conference marking the tenth anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling.
Mr. Teodoro said that the federal government is shifting its defense strategy from one centered on internal security and land-based operations to a multi-domain approach that features the country’s exclusive economic zone, the Philippine Rise and other maritime areas under Philippine jurisdiction.
He said that the review of the country’s defense posture identified significant gaps in infrastructure, logistics, defense industries, and military capabilities, underscoring the necessity for sustained investments.
The defense secretary also called for stronger cooperation amongst government, businesses, and civil society in constructing a reputable deterrence, saying that the country’s security depends not only on military spending but additionally on resilient supply chains, telecommunications networks, critical infrastructure, and strategic industries.
“Without that commitment, then we cannot construct a reputable deterrence posture, which at the top of the day is needed for us to claim our rights,” Mr. Teodoro said.
He also described the 2016 arbitral award as a catalyst for the Philippines’ shift toward external defense, saying the ruling has strengthened international support for a rules-based order within the Indo-Pacific.
“It just isn’t an award for the Philippines, it’s an award for the world since it institutes the primacy of UNCLOS and guards it against revisionist attempts,” he said.
AFP Chief of Staff Romeo S. Brawner Jr. said that the military’s experience over the past decade has shown that the Philippines must repeatedly exercise the rights affirmed by the 2016 arbitral ruling.
“Rights endure only once they are exercised,” Mr. Brawner said, adding that the ruling provides a robust legal foundation that must remain meaningful “not only in legal discourse but additionally in our actions.”
He said that the AFP’s objective is to stop conflict through credible deterrence posture.
“Credible deterrence is far more than military hardware,” Mr. Brawner said, “It’s built through capable forces, operational readiness, trusted partnerships, resilient institutions, and above all, the national resolve to face firm in defense of what’s rightfully ours.”
He also stressed the importance of maintaining a sustained presence within the West Philippine Sea, saying every patrol, resupply mission, and joint exercise reinforce the country’s sovereign rights. — Pexcel John Bacon