Philippines Defense Chief Says Military Must Evolve Fast

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro talks during the closing ceremony of US-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercise at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, metro Manila on May 10, 2024. JAM STA ROSA / AFP

The Philippine military must evolve fast because of threats to a “free and open” Asia-Pacific region, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Friday at the end of annual exercises with the United States.

Teodoro, whose comments were made amid a festering maritime row with China, said the military must “try to focus on actual soldiering.”

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by Eric Olander

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