(DND Secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. (center) speaks with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Facebook)

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. says the country simply wants to create a "credible deterrent posture" in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), and has no designs of arbitrarily expanding its jurisdiction. 

Teodoro had this to say during the House Committee on Appropriations' deliberation on the agency’s proposed 2025 budget. 

"Sa atin po, tinatatag lang po natin ang credible deterrent posture natin (As for us, we're just creating a credible deterrent posture). We have no intention of claiming our own nine-dash line in the South China Sea. Far from it," he said. 

In her interpellation of the Cabinet official, Makabayan solon Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas expressed concerns over the Philippines' military alliances that supposedly "provoke aggression". 

She gave particular mention to the Philippine-United States (US) Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which she said could "drag the Philippines to a war". 

"Well noted madam chair, I think that is the same concern. However, we have to point out here that the aggressor here is only one actor,"  Teodoro said, referring to China which has expansive claims in the WPS. 

According to the defense chief, China will continue its acts whether or not the Philippines decides to do something about it. 

"Eh kung gawin man natin o hindi ito, magtutuloy-tuloy sila (Whether we do this or not, they will continue their actions. 

"Kasi world domination under a new model of international governance ang gusto ng Tsina (What China wants is world domination under a new model of international governance), which is a guise for their hegemony, either dynastic or imperialistic politics," he said. 

China's expansive claims is based on their so-called nine-dash line. 

"What we want is our 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and other areas where we have jurisdiction to be for exclusively for the benefit of our citizens the way we want to do it, the way the Congress wants to do it, without the pressure of China dictating or bear-hugging us  to deal with them solely. That's all we want," Teodoro said. 

He further called China "the greatest disruptor of peace in the [WPS]". 

"They have illegally reclaimed areas, they are claiming areas that are well beyond their jurisdiction...We have to work with our allies and partners to address an evolving threat," he added.