00:00First in our news, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth helped
00:07in discussing security and defense.
00:11The details in the national news of Kenneth Paciente of PTV Manila.
00:18Strengthening the particular bond in defense,
00:21that's where President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth helped.
00:28In a courtesy call of the U.S. official to President Marcos Jr.,
00:31the discussion of defense was discussed.
00:34The President insisted that Hegseth's visit to the country is an important message.
00:39This means a strong commitment of the United States,
00:43especially in the discussion of peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
00:47Your visit to the region,
00:49and especially the fact that you have come to the Philippines as your first stop,
00:54is a very strong indication
00:56and sends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries
01:02to continue to work together to maintain the peace in the Indo-Pacific region,
01:08within the South China Sea.
01:10And I know that the work that we will do in the time that you have here,
01:14brief as it is,
01:15in the time that you have here in the Philippines,
01:17will be extremely productive and very, very important
01:22for as we chart our way into the future,
01:26considering how complicated geopolitics has become.
01:31He also emphasized the long-standing cooperation between the country and the U.S.,
01:36especially its support for the Philippines' contribution to its sovereignty
01:40without using force.
01:42You are our only treaty partner
01:45and continue to be the supporter for peace in this part of the world.
01:54And we have always taken,
01:58we have always understood the principle
02:01that the greatest force for peace in this part of the world would be the United States.
02:07Heg Seth also conveyed the message of U.S. President Donald Trump
02:12that he is ready to continue the alliance,
02:15friendship, and cooperation between the Philippines and the U.S.
02:19He also emphasized the U.S.'s desire to expand military-to-military cooperation
02:24that it can benefit both countries.
02:27And he and I both want to express
02:30the ironclad commitment we have
02:33to the mutual defense treaty
02:35and to the partnership,
02:37economically, militarily,
02:40which our staffs have worked on diligently
02:43for weeks and weeks and months.
02:45There is a very real reason
02:48why our first trip and our first visit is here to visit you
02:51in your great country.
02:53Heg Seth also emphasized the country's commitment to its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea
02:58while also emphasizing the importance of cooperation
03:02to prevent any trouble.
03:04He also emphasized the importance of deterrence or strategies
03:08to avoid trouble in the South China Sea.
03:11Deterrence is necessary around the world,
03:14but specifically in this region, in your country,
03:18considering the threats from the Communist Chinese
03:21and that friends need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder
03:24to deter conflict, to ensure that there's free navigation.
03:30Whether you call it the South China Sea
03:33or the West Philippine Sea,
03:35we recognize that your country has stood very firm
03:39in that location and in defense of your nations.
03:43Heg Seth arrived last night
03:45when US Ambassador to the Philippines Mary Kay Carlson visited.
03:48This is part of Heg Seth's first official visit to the Asia Pacific
03:52as Defense Chief.
03:54Aside from the Philippines, US officials will also visit Japan, Hawaii, and Guam.
