Nations must balance protecting territory, vulnerable in conflicts

DND Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. (Photo: Department of National Defense – Philippines/Facebook)

By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Countries must strike a critical balance between securing territorial integrity and protecting the vulnerable sectors from harm during armed conflicts, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. said on Monday.

“And it is indeed a challenge and a paradox that we seek to provide limits to temper the natural tendency for a human being to be victorious, and to survive in an arena where lives are at stake. However, we view IHL (International Humanitarian Law) not merely as an object between combatants but to save those who are not combatants – the children, the most vulnerable to conflict. ,” Teodoro said in his opening remarks during the observance of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Day and the 75th Geneva Conventions Anniversary in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

“It is a reality that we need to deal with. It is a reality that the world needs to manage, not only the domestic law of any country,” he added.

Amid this challenge, Teodoro said the DND continues to play a very critical balance between securing the safety and territorial integrity of the Philippines against the indiscriminate and wanton harm against human lives.

“I believe it’s paradoxical that more than ever, in this era, we see the tension between the need to save lives, to be more humane towards each other in a theater of greater ability to inflict harm on others, not only on an individual basis but on a state-wide basis. No other threats are more dangerous to humankind than natural calamities and war,” the DND chief said.

Teodoro also cited the importance of non-state actors like the International Committee on the Red Cross, the Philippine Red Cross, civil society and cause-oriented groups, which he said “provide a buffer between combatants”.

He also said the DND’s best approach to addressing the potential for dealing with conflict is to “deter” it, especially in terms of external defense.

“We have a mandate to guarantee the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines. That is our principal mission at this time, as enunciated by the Philippine President, that territorial defense is at the forefront of our cooperation with the DND alongside disaster risk reduction,” he added.