Philippine defense secretary doesn't expect Trump will demand payment for protection
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro says he doesn't expect U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s next administration will demand the Philippines pay more for military protection because both allies face the shared threat of China
MELBOURNE, Australia — Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Tuesday that he didn't expect President-elect Donald Trump’s next administration would demand that the Philippines pay more for military protection because both allies faced the shared threat of China.
Teodoro was speaking at a news conference with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles following an inaugural bilateral annual meeting aimed at improving security ties.
Asked if Trump would expect the Philippines, like Taiwan, to pay for U.S. protection, Teodoro replied: “I really don’t expect some sort of a statement from Mr. Trump, hopefully not.”
“I really don’t have any preconditions or any assumptions as to what will be the outcome of this administration, except on what we are working on — on institutional ties,” he said.
“We have an interest, both the United States and the Philippines, in ensuring that our partnership continues because — not totally, but principally —… of shared threats. And that is undoubtedly the overreach and the aggressive and illegal activities of China,” he added.
Marles said that Australia had been confident that regardless of the U.S. presidential election outcome, Australia’s alliance with Washington would remain in “good shape.”
“What we see in the election of President Trump and in the formation of his administration, is an administration which will maintain America’s role of leadership in the world, which is really important in terms of maintaining the global rules-based order,
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