Amid controversies about the reported leak of a war plan in Yemen, United States Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth briefly discussed Friday, March 28, America's “war plans” to assist the Philippines amid the tense situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Hegseth was in the country for a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
His visit came days after the reported leak of a war plan in Yemen when a US-based journalist from The Atlantic was accidentally included in a “Signal” group chat with top US officials, including Hegseth himself, supposedly discussing planned airstrikes against Houthi rebels.
At a press conference in Manila after the bilateral meeting, Hegseth was asked if Washington would provide a greater and more enabled presence in the South China Sea amid China’s provocative actions against fellow claimant countries, including the Philippines.
“I defer to Admiral Paparo and his war plans, real war plans,” Hegseth said, referring to US Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) Commander, Samuel John Paparo Jr., drawing a few chuckles from the crowd.
Hegseth said Paparo understands the geographic significance of the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific region, and is “prepared to work with those in the region to ensure we are leaning forward in our posture.”
He expressed confidence that Paparo will be working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to make Chinese Communist Party (CCP) “reconsider whether or not violence or action is something they want to undertake.”
“In order to bring that peace, we will be strong. Our allies will know we stand with them. Our admirals are prepared, and they will be properly equipped. We're rebuilding our military under President Trump, reviving that warrior ethos across the force,” the Pentagon chief noted.
“So Admiral Paparro is exactly where we need him to be with contingencies laid in place and we will be positioned to stand with our partners, hopefully to prevent any conflict at all,” he added.
Asked if he feels any sense of responsibility for the reported leak of the war plan in Yemen as the defense chief of the US, Hegseth responded: "I'm responsible for ensuring that our department is prepared and ready to deter and defeat our enemies."