Teodoro stresses ASEAN unity against security threats

Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. emphasized the need for ASEAN unity in addressing regional security challenges during the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Retreat in Penang, Malaysia.

Teodoro stressed that amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and threats to Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, ASEAN must remain cohesive and proactive to uphold regional stability.

He cited President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s call for ASEAN to defend international law and norms against contemporary challenges, urging member-states to enhance operational cooperation through joint patrols, exercises, and intelligence-sharing.

Teodoro warned against external attempts to sow division within Southeast Asia and advised the region to resist coercion in any form that threatens national interests such as online scams and trafficking.

The Philippine defense chief reaffirmed his country's commitment to multilateralism, diplomacy, and peaceful resolution of disputes following international law, emphasizing ASEAN's strength lies in its ability to cooperate and act collectively.