Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. said on Friday that the Philippines should increase defense spending to between 2% to 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) to strengthen its military capabilities and maritime security, as the government prepares to expand maritime patrols and receive additional defense assets.

Mr. Teodoro said that the government would need to realign its budget to support higher defense spending, noting that resources are finite.

“We definitely need to realign,” he told reporters on the sideline of the Stratbase Institute conference, “More for one means less for another.”

Asked if where the funding can get, he said, “It is up to somebody, all I’m saying is we need to increase.”

Mr. Teodoro also confirmed that the planned transfer of five Japanese warships has been accepted “in principle” and is being worked out, although he declined to provide a timeline.

He said that the vessels would be transferred at no costs, but the Philippines would shoulder expenses for transport, crew training and system integration, as well as invest in new naval facilities to support future acquisitions.

Mr. Teodoro also backed calls for a stronger response to China’s latest claims involving Batanes, saying that the country’s pushback should be firm as such assertions violate international law and Philippine sovereignty.

“Naturally, our pushback should be strong because, number one, this is not only a violation of international law… it is also a violation of the normal thinking of the people,” Mr. Teodoro said.

Former Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, meanwhile, challenged China to bring its reported claim over the Batanes Islands before an international court, saying Beijing should prove its assertions through legal channels instead of public statements.

“My challenge to China is why don’t they bring that issue to the International Court of Justice that they own the Batanes Island,” Mr. Carpio told reporters.

“Go ahead, bring a case in the International Court of Justice. We will meet there. We will abide by the ruling,” he added.

Meanwhile, Batanes Rep. Ciriaco B. Gato Jr. rejected the claims, calling the assertions an affront to Philippine sovereignty and the identity of the Ivatan people.

“Batanes is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The Ivatans are Filipinos,” Mr. Gato said in a statement on Friday, “We treat any insinuation that seeks to question or undermine the absolute sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines over our islands with utmost gravity.”

Adding, “Any challenge to our statues is not merely a geopolitical provocation; it is an affront to our identity that we will not tolerate.”

The Chinese Embassy to the Philippines did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comments.

Meanwhile, Mr. Teodoro said that the Philippines should leverage its growing defense partnerships to deepen economic and political ties with like-minded countries, arguing that security cooperation alone would not be enough to sustain the country’s long-term strategic objectives.

“These defense alliances will not be sustainable if these are strictly defense alliances, but should be the foundations for more extensive economic and, at the end of the day, political relations,” he said at the Stratbase Institute conference marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling.

Mr. Teodoro said that the government is shifting its defense strategy from one centered on internal security and land-based operations to a multi-domain approach that includes the country’s exclusive economic zone, the Philippine Rise and other maritime areas under Philippine jurisdiction.

He said that the review of the country’s defense posture identified significant gaps in infrastructure, logistics, defense industries, and military capabilities, underscoring the need for sustained investments.

The defense secretary also called for stronger cooperation among government, businesses, and civil society in building a credible deterrence, saying that the country’s security depends not only on military spending but also on resilient supply chains, telecommunications networks, critical infrastructure, and strategic industries.

“Without that commitment, then we cannot build a credible deterrence posture, which at the end of the day is necessary for us to assert our rights,” Mr. Teodoro said.

He also described the 2016 arbitral award as a catalyst for the Philippines’ shift toward external defense, saying the ruling has strengthened international support for a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

“It is not an award for the Philippines, it is an award for the world because it institutes the primacy of UNCLOS and guards it against revisionist attempts,” he said.

AFP Chief of Staff Romeo S. Brawner Jr. said that the military’s experience over the past decade has shown that the Philippines must continuously exercise the rights affirmed by the 2016 arbitral ruling.

“Rights endure only when they are exercised,” Mr. Brawner said, adding that the ruling provides a strong legal foundation that must remain meaningful “not only in legal discourse but also in our actions.”

He said that the AFP’s objective is to prevent conflict through credible deterrence posture.

“Credible deterrence is much more than military hardware,” Mr. Brawner said, “It is built through capable forces, operational readiness, trusted partnerships, resilient institutions, and above all, the national resolve to stand firm in defense of what is rightfully ours.”

He also stressed the importance of maintaining a sustained presence in the West Philippine Sea, saying every patrol, resupply mission, and joint exercise reinforce the country’s sovereign rights. — Pexcel John Bacon