![[From left to right] United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, PH Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, and PH Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. join hands during a photo opportunity before the start of '4th Philippines-US Two-Plus-Two Ministerial Consultations' at the Tejeros Hall in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on July 30, 2024. Ryan Leagogo/蜜桃工作室](/files/2024/07/IMG_5826.jpg)
[From left to right] United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, PH Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, and PH Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. join hands during a photo opportunity before the start of 鈥�4th Philippines-US Two-Plus-Two Ministerial Consultations鈥� at the Tejeros Hall in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on July 30, 2024. Ryan Leagogo/蜜桃工作室
In a message to reporters, Escudero also said the military aid is 鈥渦nprecedented assistance and investment鈥� that the Philippines 鈥渉as been needing.鈥�
鈥淚 do not think this will provoke or agitate China because strengthening one鈥檚 own military, like them and most countries, in order to keep the peace is the right and obligation of every country,鈥� he added.
China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, with claims overlapping the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Philippines, Vietnam, and other countries, causing regional tension.
On the other hand, Senator Aquilino 鈥淜oko鈥� Pimentel III criticized the military aid from the US.
In a message to reporters, the Senate minority leader pointed out that the US could have assisted the Philippines in agriculture.
鈥淢ilitary hardware na naman na walang pakinabang sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda natin. Why doesn鈥檛 America make an unprecedented investment in our agricultural sector?鈥� Pimentel said.
(They are again giving us military hardware that our farmers and fishermen cannot use.)
鈥淲hy always military hardware? And for all we know, they are giving us their surplus military hardware for already being obsolete or old technology,鈥� he added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disclosed that the US would be allocating an additional $500 million in military financing to the Philippines.
He said the initiative is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippines-US bilateral security sector assistance roadmap, as well as doubling the investments in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, for the 4th Philippines-US Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue (2+2 Dialogue).
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