Manila, March 28 -- As the Philippines works closely with treaty ally United States and other like-minded countries in reestablishing deterrence capabilities, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday said "increased interoperability activities" are expected.

Activities may include joint exercises and realistic training in a myriad of scenarios, Teodoro said.

"God forbid, however, we must be prepared to answer and to meet and even to deter any possibility in the future for our mutual defense and the defense of freedom and international law," he said during a press briefing shortly after a meeting with his American counterpart, Secretary Pete Hegseth, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Teodoro said the...