By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Marcos administration is fully committed to protecting the Philippines’ maritime interests,  Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. stressed as Philippine and United States officials were firm in maintaining a missile system which had been installed and tested in Northern Luzon during military exercises between the two countries.

 “What we should do, because the political leadership will is already there – no less than the President (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) has already said time and time again that we will not waver – we will protect our maritime interests in accordance with international law, which is why in our department and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), we came up with the CADC (Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept),” Teodoro said in the inaugural edition of Balangay Forum at Camp Aguinaldo.

Teodoro also recognized the importance of engagements, such as the Balangay Forum, and emphasized that all Filipinos have a stake in the protection of the country’s jurisdiction and rights to the resources of our maritime domain, as provided by international law.

“We should never trade short-term inflows of cash, cash inflows, for a long-term benefit in the future. Likewise, in the same way, we should also make a call to action to our local officials and other people not to be tempted by spurious offers of cash or other assistance, in order for international criminal syndicates and their ilk to have a foothold in this country,” the defense chief said.

Teodoro said such illegal actions are the “easiest way to destroy the moral fabric, economic fabric, and social fabric of this country.”

Teodoro rejected China’s demands to remove the missile system as interference in the Philippines internal affairs.

As this developed, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military is dedicated to protecting Philippine sovereignty and upholding the rule of law in its territorial waters.

“The AFP embarked on an extensive information operation MULAT, with the aim of raising awareness among Filipinos about what is happening at the West Philippine Sea. Aside from this, the AFP, through multilateral maritime cooperative activities, enhances its capabilities in safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain,” Brawner said during the forum panel discussion on the topic of protecting the Philippines’ maritime domain.

The missile system called Typhon will help boost deterrence as China continues its dangerous activities in West Philippine Sea and South China Sea.

The U.S. Army transported the Typhon missile system, a land-based weapon that can fire the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. Tomahawk missiles can travel over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers), which places China within their target range.

Teodoro also said the Philippines is only building up its defensive capabilities and is not engaged in an arms race,

In the same forum, Teodoro Jr.  called on lawmakers to amend the country’s espionage laws to allow the government to punish those who engage in these acts during peacetime.

Teodoro made this remark when asked about allegations that dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is a Chinese spy as claimed by a documentary of a foreign news network.

“So this is a call to action, our lawmakers know of the urgent need to amend our espionage law to punish those involved in such acts, and so that the government can move or act to suppress it,” Teodoro said .

In an earlier forum, the Defense chief issued a statement in reaction to claims that China has expressed alarm over ongoing efforts to build up Philippine defense posture.

Teodoro maintained that the Philippines will do what it needs to beef up its defensive capabilities.

“We will do what needs to be done to create a credible deterrent posture,” he said.

The DND chief also said China is using “reverse psychology” to deter the country from building its defensive capabilities.

“So, as I said, before they start talking, why don’t they lead by example? Destroy their nuclear arsenal. Remove all their ballistic missile capabilities. Get out of the WPS and get out of Mischief Reef. I mean, don’t throw stones when you live in a glass house and that goes for other countries also that are worried about our defensive capability enhancement. Don’t throw stones if you live in glass houses,” he said.