Hegseth visit highlights strong PH-US defense ties - AFP
Philippine News Agency
By Priam Nepomuceno
March 25, 2025, 1:09 pm
MANILA -- The scheduled visit of US Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth to the country on March 28 highlights the strong military ties between the Philippines and the United States, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday.
In a press briefing, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the visit reaffirms Washington D.C.'s announcement of its strong commitment to support Manila.
"This visit reaffirms na laging sinasabi ng ating ally for a long time na US na yun commitment nga nila is ironclad itong sa pag-support sa atin (that their commitment to support us is ironclad)," she added.
Padilla also said that Hegseth's visit also shows the US is keen on beefing up its existing military alliance with the Philippines.
The US DOD chief is scheduled to meet with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
This is the first in-person meeting between the two defense chiefs, following a phone conference in February.
During the telephone conference, Teodoro congratulated Hegseth on his appointment as DOD chief even as both officials expressed optimism on the deepening defense ties of the two nations. (PNA)
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