Trump defense chief Hegseth’s turn to vow ‘ironclad commitment’

STRONGER ALLIANCE United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (left) says the alliance between the US and the Philippines has never been stronger, as he reiterates Washington’s commitment to support the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Hegseth and his Philippine counterpart, Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., faced reporters after their meeting on Friday at the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo. —LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reassured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of his country’s “ironclad commitment” to a 73-year-old defense treaty with the Philippines as he stressed the need for “deterrence” against threats, such as those coming from China.

In his exchange with the President during a courtesy call in Malacañang on Friday morning, Hegseth relayed US President Donald Trump’s well wishes to Mr. Marcos and said the American president “thinks very fondly of this great country.”

“He (Trump) and I both want to express the ironclad commitment we have to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and to the partnership, economically, militarily, which our staffs have worked on diligently for weeks and weeks and months,” he said.

The United States, Hegseth said, has “great interest” in expanding the presence of American troops in the Philippines for a “meaningful military-to-military cooperation” as this is “mutually beneficial” and “critically important” to both nations.

“Because as we’ve talked about, peace through strength is a very real thing. Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese,” Hegseth said.

He went on: “Friends need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there’s free navigation. Whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea, we recognize that your country has to stand very firm in that location and in defense of your nation.”

READ: US defense chief: ‘We don’t seek war, we seek peace, cooperation

Prior to Hegseth’s arrival, China had warned the Philippines to “stop serving as other countries’ mouthpiece” and not to carry out stunts for personal political agenda.

At a press briefing earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said “nothing good could come out of opening the door to a predator” and that those willing to be chess pieces “will be deserted in the end.”

Mr. Marcos said Hegseth’s visit “is a very strong indication and sends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together, to maintain the peace in the Indo-Pacific Region within the South China Sea.”

Helping PH military

In a statement, Speaker Martin Romualdez said Hegseth’s presence “reaffirms the deep, historic, and forward-looking alliance that has long bound our two nations in friendship and shared purpose to upholding peace, stability, and the rule of law—especially amid complex challenges in the South China Sea.”

“The high-level discussions between Secretary Hegseth and Philippine officials reflect a unified vision: to fortify our defense cooperation and preserve the principles of freedom of navigation and respect for international norms,” Romualdez said.

Hegseth said he visited the country to “engage in even deeper conversations” with his counterpart, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., about the two nations’ partnership.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Teodoro on Friday afternoon at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Hegseth said the US would deploy Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), antiship missile system and highly capable unmanned surface vehicles to the Philippines during the joint Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military exercises this April.

“These systems will enable US forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to train together on using advanced capabilities to defend the Philippines’ sovereignty,” Hegseth said.

He said Filipino and American troops would also conduct bilateral special operation forces training in Batanes, the Philippine province nearest Taiwan, “to enhance interoperability for high-end operations.”

He reassured Teodoro about Washington’s ongoing $500-million commitment in foreign military financing and other security assistance to support the Philippines’ military modernization.

Hegseth said “our ironclad alliance has never been stronger,” warning China to “reconsider” its actions “whether or not violence or action is something they want to undertake.”

Edca commitment

“We do not seek war, we seek peace, but those who long for peace must prepare for war,” he said. “President Trump seeks peace. But in order to bring that peace, we will be strong. Our allies will know we stand with them,” Hegseth added.

For his part, Teodoro said Manila and Washington would boost development in the existing Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites in the country.

“We will enhance our current Edca locations and we will make improvements. Mind you, these are Philippine bases of which we have to invest in. We will enhance them for logistical support,” he said.

Hegseth’s brief trip to Manila is the first high-level visit of a US official under the Trump administration and is seen as a reaffirmation of the defense partnership between Washington and Manila and the 1951 MDT that compels the two nations to defend the other in case of armed attacks.

Hegseth’s visit came more than a month after the US decided to exempt its foreign military financing to the Philippines from its freeze on foreign aid around the world.

After Manila, the US defense official will visit Japan for a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, where he will also engage with top Japanese officials and US military forces. —WITH REPORTS FROM KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING AND REUTERS