Philippines defense secretary Teodoro visits airbase used by US
The Philippines' Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro visits the Lal-lo airport in the north of the country, which is being used as a base by both Filipino and US military aircraft carrying aid as part of a joint disaster response to Typhoon Doksuri.
Lal-lo is one of the sites open for use by US troops as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement — a deal that allows US forces to rotate through and store defence equipment and supplies at selected areas in the Philippines. Teodoro defends the agreement, saying that the airport's "proximity to Taiwan is a geographical accident" and if "other people are paranoid about it, it's their problem." (Video Courtesy of AFP)
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Lal-lo is one of the sites open for use by US troops as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement — a deal that allows US forces to rotate through and store defence equipment and supplies at selected areas in the Philippines. Teodoro defends the agreement, saying that the airport's "proximity to Taiwan is a geographical accident" and if "other people are paranoid about it, it's their problem." (Video Courtesy of AFP)
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Transcript
00:00 You know what?
00:26 If its proximity to Taiwan is a geographical accident and other people are paranoid about
00:32 it, it's their problem.
00:34 For me, my concern is Philippine national interest and national security.
00:39 So the paranoia of other people may be rightly so.
00:45 It is taken into consideration, but national security is paramount in this country.
00:54 And we have reassured other countries in the world that the Philippines is not allowed
00:59 by the constitution to wage war or any offensive action as an instrument of national policy.
01:07 Now if they do not take our word for it, then how can we trust each other?
01:15 We do not question the bases being built by other countries except when they are being
01:22 built on contested territory.
01:25 This is Philippine territory and it is our business what we do here just as long as it
01:33 is for Philippine interests.
01:35 And here, the United States and us converge in our intended use for this.
01:42 And it is not any other country's business to question what we do here.
01:46 Thank you.
01:48 [END]