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Nat'l security exec says PH ramping up defense spending

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno
January 30, 2025, 10:08 am

MANILA -- The Philippines has been boosting its defense expenditures to enable its military to foster stronger cooperation with allies, a ranking National Security Council (NSC) official said.

NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya made this remark after United States President Donald Trump called on allies, including members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to beef up their defense spending to at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product.

"I think we have (shown) to the United States that we have been ramping up also our defense spending, we now have a very clear Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) which really requires enormous sums of money in investment into Philippine defense, military spending or security spending," he said in the Utak Forum held at the New Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City Wednesday.

Under the CADC, the Philippine military eyes to defend the country's domains, including its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Malaya said that Manila has been allocating more funds to continue the Rehorizon 3 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program, focused on acquiring equipment and weapon systems for "external defense and territorial security of the country."

"So if we follow the logic where he (Trump) is asking NATO members to devote more of their resources, I think we're also doing the same," Malaya said.

US missile system deployment

Meanwhile, Malaya said the presence of the US Medium Range Capability Typhon missile system was not for offensive purposes.

"I think the Philippine government has made very clear its position that the presence of the Typhon missile system in the Philippines was part of course of the 'Balikatan' exercises so the purpose of that was to train Filipino troops in utilizing this, it is not for offensive purposes, it is primarily for defensive purposes and to ensure that the Philippines has capacity to operate such weapon system and the Philippines has expressed its interest to buy this types of systems in the same manner that we bought the BrahMos missile system," he added.

The missile system arrived in the Philippines last year and was used for training purposes during the Filipino and American exercises last year.

Malaya said it can be used for the Philippines' CADC.

"Very clearly it is for defense purposes so as mentioned by the AFP, this is a sovereign act, this is a decision of the Philippine government and it is not meant for any other state, it is for the territorial integrity of the Philippines," he added.

China earlier criticized the missile system's deployment to the Philippines, saying it threatens regional peace and security. (PNA)