Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro defended the government's decision to acquire mid-range missile assets as part of the country's territorial defense plan. Teodoro emphasized that any deployment of U.S. mid-range missile assets to the Philippines is legitimate and legal within the context of joint exercises. He stated that the Philippines is a sovereign nation and any decisions regarding its security and defense fall under its own prerogative.
Teodoro's statement was in response to China's criticisms of both the recent deployment of mid-range missiles and the planned acquisition. He explained that the enhancement of Philippine defense capabilities, in accordance with the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC), is based on national interest and independent foreign policy, not targeted against specific countries. Teodoro also pointed out that China has been actively building up its defense capabilities while criticizing the Philippines' modest development