Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. reaffirmed the country's commitment to the peaceful resolution of the South China Sea disputes in accordance with international law during a gathering of defense chiefs in Indonesia recently.
Teodoro led the Philippine delegation to the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and 10th ADMM-Plus which were held back-to-back in Jakarta from Nov. 15 to 16.
"During the exchange of views, Secretary Teodoro reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to continue pursuing principled engagement with all countries to foster a rules-based order," DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said on Friday, Nov. 17.
Further, Teodoro also called upon all countries to "embrace the responsibility of collective accountability for actions that violate international law," including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), when dealing with maritime disputes.
Tension between the Philippines and China is escalating over territorial disputes in the South China Sea as the latter claims majority of the disputed waterway, including several areas within Manila's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or the West Philippine Sea.
Teodoro emphasized that it is the responsibility of ASEAN nations to "build up our respective defense resiliencies in order for us to be in the position to contribute towards guaranteeing regional security."
The 17th ADMM saw seven key deliverables including the adoption of the “Concept Paper on Harmonizing ADMM and ADMM-Plus Initiatives” co-authored by the Philippines and Thailand.
The paper seeks to promote more efficient and economical outcomes from activities under the ADMM and ADMM-Plus framework.
The meeting also adopted the “Jakarta Joint Declaration of the ADMM for Peace, Prosperity and Security” which reaffirms the ADMM’s commitment to strengthen cooperation among ASEAN Member States and Plus Countries to effectively respond to shared security challenges, while upholding ASEAN centrality and unity.
"The Joint Declaration further underscores the primacy of international law and the importance of confidence-building measures in the maintenance of a peaceful, prosperous, and stable region," Andolong explained.
Meanwhile, the 10th ADMM-Plus adopted the “Joint Statement by the ADMM-Plus on Women, Peace and Security” which recognizes the invaluable contribution of women across all realms of peace and security, and emphasizes the need to advance the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in the defense sector and peacemaking.
Also announced during the meeting were the new sets of co-chairs of the seven ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Groups (EWG) for the 2024-2027 cycle, including the upcoming co-chairship of the Philippines and Japan of the EWG on Maritime Security.
On the sidelines, Teodoro and the other ADMM leaders met with United States Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin III and Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara in separate informal meetings.
The defense ministers recognized the robust and multi-faceted cooperation between ASEAN and both Washington and Tokyo while highlighting the need for future collaborations to remain adaptable to meet new challenges amid an evolving security architecture.
"The US particularly conveyed its intent to further support the defense capacity-building of ASEAN Member States through expanded practical cooperation and training and education offers. Meanwhile, Japan introduced new initiatives under Vientiane Vision 2.0 which is its guiding principle for engagements with ASEAN," Andolong said.
Teodoro also met with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn as well as counterparts from Brunei Darussalam, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the US, and Vietnam in bilateral and pull aside meetings.
During the discussions, Teodoro stressed that the disputes in the South China Sea "are not just an issue of economic growth for the Philippines as it is "fundamental to the integrity of the country as an archipelagic State and essential for the peace, prosperity and sustainability of future generations."
The ADMM is the highest defense consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. Meanwhile, the ADMM-Plus is a platform for the ADMM to engage in practical cooperation with eight of ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners (collectively known as “Plus Countries”) namely Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States.