DND reviewing defense pacts with countries not supporting PH claims in WPS

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Wednesday said it is reviewing its defense agreements with countries that do not support the Philippines' claims in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“Our engagements have a strategic bent in mind and they are all based initially on the acceptance of UNCLOS and the acceptance of the Philippine position in the WPS and the South China Sea,” DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in a press conference.

“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,” he added.

In an ambush interview, Teodoro said the Philippines has around 50 memorandums of agreement for defense with other countries.

“We have a host of existing defense agreements. Some are dormant. Some are with countries whose interests may not necessarily align with ours. So we will review how to move forward with these agreements,” Teodoro said.

“That is a management review. That prompted it. I took a deep dive into all our systems, from international alliances to logistics to infrastructure to strategic reviews to defense education, et cetera, so those are one of the outcomes of my management review,” he added.

No deadline is set for the review, according to Teodoro. — BM, GMA Integrated News