The Philippines is considering all security options that would deter Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, after the US said it does not plan on pulling out its missile system it left in Manila, according to the country’s Defense chief. “Whatever will serve our deterrent purpose for our national defense, of course that is open for consideration,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of a Senate hearing on his agency’s budget for 2025.

Ordoñez, J. V. D. (2024, September 25). Philippines considering all deterrent options amid sea dispute with China. BusinessWorld, p. S1/10.