Manila, March 3 -- The Philippine Army's officials met with representatives from Australia, Japan and the United States over the weekend to discuss reinforcing collective defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific Region.

In a statement Monday, Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said the high-level meeting at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on March 1 and 2 were attended Brig. Gen. Dean Thompson (G-3, Australian Army), Maj. Gen. Scott Winter (G-5, US Army Pacific), Col. Christopher Winn (G-5, US Marine Corps Forces in the Pacific), Maj. Gen. Norimichi Shirakawa (G-5, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force), Brig. Gen. Vicente Map Blanco III (Deputy Commandant, Philippine Marine Corps), and Philippine Army vice-commander Ma...