Deal with Australia not a mutual defense treaty - Teodoro

San Vicente, Palawan, Philippines – Philippine and Australian defense ministers on Sunday, Aug. 24, led simulated amphibious assaults on the shores of a strategic island facing the West Philippine Sea: Palawan.

The large-scale amphibious drill – with about 1,000 Filipino Marines manning assault boats and the air force flying FA-50 fighter jets as aerial support, while the Australians deployed the HMAS Brisbane (DDG41) and a RAAF EA-18G Growler – simulated beach landing and a retake of a coastal territory.

The exercise showed a leveling up of military ties in the face of China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea. Australia said the war games were its biggest overseas military exercises in the region in recent history.

Manila and Canberra are poised to seal a defense cooperation agreement in 2026 – with the statement of intent signed over the weekend to lay the groundwork.

Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro said on Sunday it will not be tantamount to a mutual defense treaty (MDT).

“That statement of intent sort of makes clear where our areas of cooperation will be. Actually we’re doing these things now, we want it formalized,” he told reporters.

“A mutual defense treaty is an entirely different thing. A defense cooperation agreement will concretize and provide a mechanism for more continuous interactions between our two countries’ armed forces,” Teodoro said.

The Philippines has had a MDT with the US since 1951.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said the defense cooperation agreement will “regularize” joint exercises, operations and ministerial meetings.

“It reflects the growing relationship between our two defense forces,” Marles told the same briefing.

“This is cooperation about two countries which seek to assert a rules-based order and it is as simple as that. In doing that, it contributes to the peace and the security in the region,” he added.

Western seaboard

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the ‘Exercise Alon’ would be favorable for the military’s Western Command.

“It is very significant because sa nakikita na mga [of the] threats we are facing. Palawan is one of those areas. So we have to be able to rehearse the defense of our western seaboard,” Brawner said.

On Friday, Aug. 22, Brawner said he had told troops stationed at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal to stop the Chinese from boarding the BRP Sierra Madre at all costs. His directive followed increased transit of armed Chinese vessels along the waters in the shoal 105 nautical miles off Palawan.

“The situation is improving. We have been successful in pushing the Chinese intrusions into the shoal itself,” Brawner said.

Resupply mission

Brawner said the Western Command, which is responsible for Palawan and the Kalayaan Island Group, ordered troops to “cut the fishing nets” cast by Chinese vessels last week over the waters in Ayungin Shoal “so that mobility will still be allowed within the shoal itself.”

“This is in preparation for the resupply mission that we are going to do one of these days,” Brawner said, without elaborating.

He referred to the resupply mission for troops in the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II landing ship grounded in Ayungin since 1999, but under constant threat from Chinese interference.

The AFP wants China to keep its end of the bargain under an arrangement for the rotation and resupplying to the Sierra Madre agreed on by Beijing and Manila in July last year.

“The agreement with China still stands. Kaya pagdating nung time na magreresupply tayo ay rerespetuhin nila yung resupply mission [So when we resupply they will respect the resupply mission],” Brawner said.