The Philippines cannot afford to delay defending its interests in the West Philippine Sea as China continues to strengthen its capabilities, the country’s defense chief warned Sunday.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. issued the warning during the National Peace Walk 2026 at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the July 12, 2016 arbitral award.
The ruling invalidated China’s sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea and affirmed the Philippines’ rights within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
Teodoro said the government and the military were pursuing their own initiatives to uphold the ruling, which lacks an enforcement mechanism.
He stressed that defending the West Philippine Sea concerns not only the present generation but also Filipinos who will inherit the country’s maritime domain.
“This is as much as for the future than today,” Teodoro said.
The defense chief urged Filipinos to become more active in asserting the country’s maritime rights.
“Now, if we are not diligent in pushing for our rights in the West Philippine Sea, what will happen tomorrow if we postpone it tomorrow, postpone it for a few years, leave it for the meantime?” Teodoro asked.
“Our adversary in the West Philippine Sea is getting stronger every day… We are facing a challenge that we cannot ignore,” he added.
Thousands joined the peace walk despite light rain, including National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.
Teodoro did not join the walk but attended the program at the Quirino Grandstand.
He said the activity would encourage Filipino fisherfolk to continue operating at Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc.
After the program, Teodoro flew to Pag-asa Island, the largest of the nine Philippine-occupied features in the West Philippine Sea, to join soldiers and civilians in commemorating the arbitral award.
China gained control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 following a standoff with Philippine government vessels. Chinese authorities have since restricted Filipino fisherfolk’s access to the shoal’s lagoon, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Teodoro reiterated that the country must intensify efforts to defend its interests without further delay.
“It should have been yesterday. We cannot bring back yesterday, so we should do it today. Let’s do it today. The peace walk is a signal of our commitment that we are united against evil,” he said.
In an interview, Teodoro acknowledged that while the Philippine military had improved its capabilities in recent years, its current strength remained insufficient.
“As we become stronger, the others who are violating our rights are also getting stronger too. So, this is an everyday effort. We cannot neglect it even for a second,” he said.
Asked whether the Philippines should ask the Permanent Court of Arbitration to enforce the ruling, Teodoro said the government should implement it through its own strategy.
“I don’t think we need to ask the PCA to implement the ruling. We should implement it ourselves. That is the strategy,” he said.
“There is no implementation clause, but what did they say? The nine-dash line claim of China is false and, on that basis, a lot of countries have already converged, denying China the space that it had before, particularly space in the information arena, which is really important for building a coalition of resistance,” he added.
Teodoro said the Philippines was implementing the ruling by strengthening its capabilities and unifying the efforts of the national government, local governments, and the public.
“We are strengthening our own capabilities. We are merging unified efforts not only of the national government but also of the local governments and the citizenry. Without the citizenry who pay taxes to fund these endeavors, we are nowhere. And we are also asking the citizenry to be more vigilant of sweet deal efforts to compromise our country,” he said.
The defense chief acknowledged that the award had not stopped China from conducting what the Philippine government describes as illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities in the West Philippine Sea.
“You know, it will not deter China, which is determined. So, we have to resist China. And the deterrence of China will take several other measures,” Teodoro said.
He said China’s political leadership remained determined to pursue its maritime claims but added that Beijing’s narrative had increasingly isolated it from the international community.
Brawner, meanwhile, reaffirmed the military’s commitment to defending the country’s sovereignty and maritime rights.
“The award affirmed our lawful maritime rights. It reminded the world that disputes are not resolved by force but by law,” Brawner said.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines remains committed to protecting our people, defending our sovereignty, and upholding the rule of law,” he added.
Brawner stressed that protecting the country’s rights was not the responsibility of the military alone.
“Protecting what belongs to us, to our nation, is a whole-of-government effort,” he said.
Oban said the government wanted future generations of Filipinos to continue enjoying peace and benefiting from the resources of the West Philippine Sea.
“This is the future that we want to pass on to the next generation. Therefore, to our fellow Filipinos, the West Philippine Sea is our national responsibility,” Oban said.
He maintained that the Philippines was not seeking conflict but warned that its commitment to peace should not be mistaken for an abandonment of its rights.
“We choose peace but not silence. We choose dialogue but not at the expense of principle. We choose cooperation but never at the expense of our sovereignty and lawful maritime rights,” Oban said.