DND exec hails Thai support for PH military, ASEAN 2026

By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency

DEFENSE TIES. Department of National Defense Senior Undersecretary Irineo Espino during his Feb. 3, 2026 meeting with Royal Thai Armed Forces Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Ukris Boontanondha, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. Espino expressed the country’s gratitude to Thailand for its continuing assistance in boosting the country’s military capabilities. (Photo: Department of National Defense – Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – A ranking Department of National Defense (DND) official has expressed the country’s gratitude to Thailand for its continuing assistance in boosting the country’s military capabilities and support for the Philippines’ chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2026.

Defense Senior Undersecretary Irineo Espino conveyed the Philippines’ gratefulness as he received Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) Chief Of Defense Force, Gen. Ukris Boontanondha, during his Feb. 3 visit to Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said in a statement on Thursday said.

He added that Boontanondha’s visit to the Philippines was the first since he assumed the RTARF’s top post last October.

“Both officials reaffirmed commitment to the implementation of the 1997 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Military Cooperation between the Philippines and Thailand, and welcomed the continued conduct of regular dialogue and planning platforms, high-level exchanges, intelligence and information sharing, and military education and training opportunities between the two countries’ Armed Forces,” Andolong said.

Likewise, Espino thanked Thailand’s continued support for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and service-level officers for offering Command and General Staff Course in Thailand, which significantly contributes to the Department’s ongoing professional and military education efforts.

Boontanondha also reiterated AFP’s continued participation in Thailand-US Exercise Cobra Gold, one of the largest and longest-running multinational exercise in the Indo-Pacific, participated in by like-minded countries in the region and contributes to enhancing the capacity of the AFP to conduct joint and combined operations in various crisis.

“Both sides also discussed possible cooperation on defense industry, emphasizing the importance of sharing best practices and exploring opportunities for collaboration that support the DND’s priority capabilities,” Andolong added.

Espino also welcomed Thailand’s support for the Philippines’ ASEAN 2026 chairship, particularly on the various initiatives under the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus.

The AFP is also set to host the upcoming 23rd ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Meeting (ACDFM) this year.