Mabalacat City, Pampanga (September 19, 2023) – Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. stressed the importance of upholding the country’s territorial integrity and sovereign rights during the acceptance, turn-over, and blessing ceremony of the C-208 aircraft on Tuesday at the Haribon Hangar, Clark Air Base.

Sec. Teodoro welcomed the newest addition to the Philippine Air Force fleet, remarking that while the new asset may contribute to peace in the archipelago by supporting the missions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), “peace is only one of our national security goals.”

“Another national security goal, which is of paramount importance now, is the ability to secure the territorial integrity of our country, to secure our sovereign rights and our jurisdiction,” the Secretary of National Defense (SND) said, adding that the country is upholding a rules-based international order and international law. “National peace cannot be sustained if we cannot secure our sovereign rights in areas which rightfully belong to the Filipino people,” he added.

Secretary Teodoro also encouraged the members of the Air Force to “think of the big picture”, as the scope of operations has increased and the security of the archipelagic baselines should be of importance.

“Because of the fact that we have international law and order, which includes freedom of navigation and an international airspace as justification for what we are doing, we hear a chorus of nations supporting us because we are in the right,” the SND said. According to the Defense Chief, there will be more exchanges like the transfer of the C-208 aircraft with other like-minded nations in the coming days.

“The platform you see here is an ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) platform which will contribute, no doubt, to our Command and Control, and our ability to protect whatever mission area is critical to us,” Sec. Teodoro said of the new aircraft.

“The Philippines is a potential vital contributory to regional stability and security, if we are a strong nation, with a strong armed forces; and that is what we are working very hard to achieve,” he concluded. The C-208 Aircraft No. 5671 will be used in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and military support operations.