Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Wednesday that the newly signed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (Sovfa) between the Philippines and New Zealand will help Manila deter aggression in the disputed South China Sea. “With China, for example, being particularly aggressive in the way it does, we need to deter this kind of unwanted behavior,” Teodoro said at a joint press conference with New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins in Makati City after signing the agreement at Malacañang.

Corrales, N., & Aurelio, J. M. (2025, May 1). Teodoro: PH-New Zealand visiting forces deal a deterrent vs China. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A4.