MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ Department of National Defense (DND) is “reviewing” its standing agreements with other governments, including those that are “dormant” and deals with “countries that do not support our claims and do not have benefit to our defense and foreign policy position,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Wednesday, April 30.
Teodoro, who has headed the defense portfolio since July 2023, made the disclosure during a press conference with New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins after the signing of a Status of the Visiting Forces Agreement with Wellington.
“Our engagements have a strategic bent in mind and they’re all based initially on the acceptance of UNCLOS, and the acceptance of the Philippine position in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. And we are also in the process of reviewing the agreements with countries that do not support our claims and do not have benefit to our defense and foreign policy position,” said Teodoro.
In a chance interview, Teodoro said he gave no deadlines for the review “but naturally it takes a lot of manpower and man-hours.”
“The options are open,” said Teodoro, when asked if the review would result in rescinding these agreements.
The Philippines, said Teodoro, has around 50 or more memoranda of understanding with the DND as signatory. Most of them have to do with “defense cooperation, exchanges, and the like.”
The defense chief tried to avoid going into specifics, when asked if the review would hit countries like China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea. “But right now with China, definitely we cannot engage them on a defense-to-defense manner when our interests clearly are in conflict,” he added.
Teodoro, as head of the DND, has supervision and control over the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“Our alliance building measures are clearly defined now by countries with similar interests, particularly those that support our interests in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.
The signing of the SOVFA with New Zealand is the latest in Manila’s “alliance building measures.” In July 2024, it signed a similar deal with Japan, the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) which will be implemented upon approval of the Japanese Diet.
Manila is also expected to sign a SOVFA with Ottawa “soon” following the conclusion of negotiations. France has also been keen to sign a SOVFA with the Philippines, while Germany is set to sign a defense memorandum of agreement with the Philippines on May 14.
Manila has two visiting forces agreements in place, with the United States and Australia. — Rappler.com