Teodoro Chairs 20th ADMM in Cebu, Urges Peaceful South China Sea Settlements as Ministers Adopt Five Initiatives
ADMM CEBU – ASEAN defense ministers adopted five new cooperation initiatives on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, as Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. chaired the 20th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu and called for regional unity and peaceful settlement of disputes, including those in the South China Sea.
The gathering marked two decades of the ADMM and coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Ministers adopted a joint statement on the TAC anniversary and the Manila Joint Declaration on the ADMM’s 20th year.
“ASEAN was founded on the belief that our strength lies in our diversity. We must therefore not allow our differences to divide us from within, and where such differences exist, including in the South China Sea, we must settle them through peaceful and legal means,” Teodoro said.
The five initiatives cover a young defense leaders’ exchange program, stronger coordination between ASEAN defense dialogue mechanisms, maritime security and emerging technologies, chemical, biological and radiological threat preparedness, and updated operational guidelines for ADMM and ADMM-Plus activities. One proposal calls for a 2027 ADMM-Plus conference on CBR threats.
Teodoro stressed that unity and internal stability remain essential to ASEAN Centrality. “It is only when we are united that we can effectively uphold ASEAN Centrality and the principles that bind us, such as mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, and renunciation of the threat or use of force,” he said.
Beyond the anniversary declarations, Teodoro framed the week as a test of whether ASEAN can keep speaking with one voice while great-power competition sharpens around the region. He encouraged delegates to address shared threats—from maritime insecurity to new technology risks—without letting bilateral disagreements hollow out the bloc’s consensus culture.
The young leaders’ exchange and the push to sync ADMM-Plus work with ASEAN Regional Forum defense dialogues are meant to widen the bench of officers who understand ASEAN processes, not only the ministers who meet once a year. Updated operational guidelines, officials said, should make joint activities clearer and faster to launch when crises hit.
He also urged frank exchanges among delegates so members can find common ground on shared security concerns while respecting differences among states. The ADMM and ADMM-Plus, he noted, have helped turn dialogue into practical cooperation among defense establishments.
Teodoro separately welcomed continued U.S. engagement during ASEAN–United States defense talks on the sidelines, saying a robust U.S. presence supports peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific while affirming ASEAN centrality.
The Cebu meeting forms part of the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairship, with defense cooperation, regional stability and adherence to international law among Manila’s priorities. Related coverage: Marcos Orders Lawful, Non-Violent Arrest of Sen. Bato dela Rosa and Vince Dizon Returns to DOTr as Giovanni Lopez Takes Over DPWH.
With U.S. and other dialogue partners also in the broader ADMM-Plus orbit this week, the Cebu summit underscored Manila’s message that ASEAN should keep the pen on its own security agenda—and settle hard disputes without force.