United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin assured that the Philippines will continue to receive support despite the upcoming change in leadership, as President-elect Donald Trump is set to assume office in January 2025.
Austin said that while he cannot speculate on the policy changes of the incoming administration, he is “really proud of the work that we’ve done together with our counterparts, our allies, our friends, our family here in the Philippines.”
He added that it would be in the best interest of both nations to continue their alliance.
“And as I say often, we consider you to be more than what’s ours. And I cannot imagine a day when the United States of America and the Philippines aren’t closely aligned,” Austin said during a press conference at Western Command on Tuesday, November 19.
“What I will tell you is this is an important country, not only in being put in both parties, but in administration,” he added.
Austin also inspected the unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles recently acquired by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“We expect to see many more platforms like this delivered with $500 million in foreign military financing that I announced during my visit to the Philippines as well. It will help ensure that the Philippines has the capabilities it needs to defend its rights and sovereignty throughout its exclusive economic zone,” he said.
Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., on the other hand, declined to speculate on future policies, stating that the direction of the administration’s policy “will very clearly be an important matter.”
Teodoro also expressed gratitude to Austin for his commitment to strengthening the “robustness of the Philippine-U.S. defense relationship and the relationship in general.”
“Suffice it to state that our alliance is based on institutional grounds. We have built institutions, particularly in the last two years. The view towards a robust, ongoing, and enduring alliance—enduring here—is what makes this agreement important since our interests converge in this part of the world,” Teodoro said.
Meanwhile, Austin emphasized that the United States Department of Defense remains committed to providing more assistance to the Philippines, particularly with the signing of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and the groundbreaking of a new coordination center.
The U.S. defense chief further underscored his country’s commitment to defend the Philippines, emphasizing that the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two nations “is ironclad.”
“And let me say again that the Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces, aircraft, or public vessels, including our coast guards, anywhere in the South China Sea,” he said.
He further noted that the signing of the GSOMIA, after two years of negotiations, is an important information-sharing agreement that “will further strengthen our overall military partnership, so our cooperation continues to grow.”
Austin added that the agreement would lead to “deeper information-sharing, combined maritime activities, joint training, and professional development.”
He also emphasized the critical role of cyberspace in protecting sovereign territories, noting that with respect to the $500 million foreign military funding agreement, priorities set by Teodoro are being addressed. He stated that the U.S. aims to ensure it is doing everything possible “to help the country increase domain awareness and its ability to protect its sovereign territory and interests.”
“I just watched the Philippine Navy demonstrate the capabilities of a T-12 unmanned surface vessel. The T-12 is one of several unmanned capabilities funded and delivered this year through U.S. security assistance,” he said.
“We have to ensure that as we acquire more of these systems, our supply chains are protected, and we can meet demand as conditions change and evolve,” he added.
Teodoro also highlighted measures being developed by the Philippine government to protect critical infrastructure, domestic supply chains, and telecommunication systems from potential vulnerabilities.
“Outside our collaboration, there are efforts within the armed forces and other agencies to develop appropriate measures to reduce vulnerabilities and mitigate whatever may happen in cyberspace,” Teodoro explained.
