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PH-US task force to boost maritime cooperation, ease WPS tensions

Philippine News Agency

By Darryl John Esguerra
November 1, 2025, 7:08 pm

BUSAN, South Korea -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Saturday defended the creation of a new Philippines-United States task force for the South China Sea, saying the initiative is intended to enhance coordination and reduce tensions amid maritime disputes with China.

Speaking to the Philippine media covering his participation in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit here, Marcos said the task force seeks to improve operational coordination between the two allies and uphold freedom of navigation in the contested waters.

"It's basically organizing ourselves into a more cohesive unit in terms of the protection of the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, the West Philippine Sea (WPS) for us," Marcos said.

He explained that the task force would allow both militaries to establish standard procedures for joint operations and training.

"[Militaries] have to establish procedure so as to be able to operate together ... We have to put together a new structure to make maximum use of the time that we are doing these exercises," he said.

When asked if the move could further provoke Beijing, the President maintained that the new task force is not an escalation but rather a continuation of existing defense cooperation.

"It will not heighten tensions because it's not something new. Wala namang bagong ginagawa. Nagkaka-heightening lang of tension kapag may sumubok ng bago (There is nothing new. Tensions only rise when someone tries to do something different)," he clarified.

The task force, jointly announced by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday, aims to "reestablish deterrence" in the South China Sea and strengthen military interoperability between the two treaty allies.

Hegseth said the initiative underscores Washington's commitment under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, stressing that the pact applies to armed attacks on either country's forces anywhere in the South China Sea.

Marcos has repeatedly vowed to defend Philippine sovereignty while pursuing regional stability through alliances, particularly with the US, Japan and Australia. (PNA)