DND Chief Teodoro welcomes US War Dept. Joint Chiefs chair

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. welcomed General Dan Caine, chairperson of the US Department of War's Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a courtesy call on Wednesday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The DND reported that Teodoro and Caine held discussions focused on bilateral defense cooperation between Manila and Washington.

“Among the topics covered were operationalizing multilateral cooperation with regional partners, expanding cooperation and information sharing to deepen interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and U.S. military forces.”

It was also aimed at “exploring ways to enhance Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) efforts in view of Typhoon Tino,” the DND statement read.

Caine's visit to Manila follows Teodoro’s recent engagements with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a gathering of defense ministers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last week.

That prior meeting between the two defense officials resulted in the formation of the new Task Force Philippines, according to the DND.

The task force is designed to "increase operational cooperation, improve combined planning, and enhance interoperability, particularly in the South China Sea,” the agency said. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/MCG, GMA Integrated News