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Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Philippine Secretary of National Defense

Appears in 1 story

Notable Quotes

"This agreement was completed in only one year after President Marcos authorized negotiations — a testament to the strength of the Philippines-France partnership." — At the SOVFA signing ceremony, March 2026

Stories

Indo-Pacific allies weave a web of military pacts as South China Sea tensions mount

Force in Play

Leading the Philippines' military agreement expansion campaign

For decades, security in the western Pacific ran through Washington. Countries struck bilateral deals with the United States and, mostly, with no one else. That model is dissolving. On March 27, the Philippines and France signed a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in Paris — the Philippines' first such pact with a European partner — giving each country's troops a legal basis to train and operate on the other's soil. France now joins the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada on a growing list of nations with military access arrangements in the Philippines, four of which were signed in under two years.

Updated Yesterday