Teodoro calls on ASEAN to unite amid threats in West PH Sea

Speaking before his counterparts in the region, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. urged member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to unite amid ongoing threats in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Teodoro made the call during a speech Wednesday at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat in Penang, Malaysia.

"ASEAN has ensured the longest period of peace in any region since World War II. However, this peace is now under threat—not due to our incapacity to preserve it, but because of the absence of unanimity on key issues," he said.

Teodoro said threats to Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the WPS are not just a domestic or regional concern, but a "global issue" that affects international stability.

The ASEAN needs to remain cohesive and proactive in upholding regional stability, Teodoro said, as well as in defending international law and norms.

The Philippine defense chief urged the ASEAN to enhance operational cooperation by expanding joint patrols, exercises, and intelligence-sharing to build trust among defense forces.

He also warned against external attempts to sow division within Southeast Asia and advised member-states to reject external influences that seek to fragment the region.

For Teodoro, the ASEAN must maintain independence and strategic autonomy.

The Philippine defense chief also cited criminal activities that threaten the region.

"We should resist coercion in whatever form and exchange information on foreign activities that are inimical to our national interests, such as online scams, trafficking in persons, illegal migration, which destroy the fabric of our respective societies," he said.

"We may not always agree, but the spirit of ASEAN compels us to cooperate where we can, consult where necessary, and act when we must," he added.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision. — VDV, GMA Integrated News