MANILA, Nov. 2 -- The Philippines has formally taken over the chairship of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM Plus from Malaysia, stressing the need for "internal cohesion and solidarity" amid heightened regional and global uncertainties.

"Our leadership in the ADMM and the ADMM-Plus comes amid heightened uncertainties about the future of our region and our world," Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in a statement late Saturday.

"To stay rooted in an increasingly unstable security environment, our internal cohesion and solidarity are all the more important."

Teodoro congratulated his Malaysian counterpart, Dato Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin, for his strong leadership and his mini...