The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved the proposed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) between the Philippines and France at the committee level on September 10, 2026, moving the landmark defense pact a step closer to full Senate ratification.
Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. testified before the public hearing in Pasay City, presided over by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, stressing that deepening defense ties with France is a strategic necessity given mounting pressure on Philippine territory.
Teodoro: Philippines Has 'No Choice' Amid China's Actions
Secretary Teodoro framed the SOVFA as a direct response to what he described as illegal unilateral actions threatening Philippine sovereign territory, pointedly referencing China without ambiguity.
"For the Philippines, we view it as a matter of no choice, because our territories are under severe stress, to put it politely, by the unilateral and illegal acts of China. Thus, we cannot deny the fact that as many coalition partners we have, it adds to our deterrent posture in this country," Teodoro said.
The Defense Chief argued that expanding the Philippines' network of partner nations is not optional but essential to building a credible deterrent posture and ensuring long-term strategic resilience.
France Recognized as Both European and Pacific Power
A central argument in Teodoro's testimony was France's dual identity as a European and Indo-Pacific nation, a distinction he said makes the country a particularly valuable partner for the Philippines.
"France is not only a European country but it is also a Pacific country because it has territories in the Pacific Ocean — New Caledonia, Tahiti and the others. It is a maritime country too, that's why its interest in freedom of navigation and other principles enshrined under UNCLOS is also very important and critical to them. They fully support the Arbitral Award that the Philippines won, and they are upholder of UNCLOS," Teodoro said.
The 2016 Arbitral Award, issued by a tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ruled in favor of the Philippines against China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. France's public support for that ruling was cited by the Defense Secretary as a key alignment of legal and strategic values.
Cooperation Spans Military, Industry, and Disaster Resilience
Secretary Teodoro emphasized that the SOVFA is not a stand-alone military arrangement but part of a broader country-to-country partnership encompassing industrial, technological, economic, and disaster resilience cooperation.
"Defense industries are merely an offshoot of basic industrial synergies. Without basic industrial capacity and capabilities, it would be hard to have a sustainable and evolutionary defense industry on a technical level and the higher sustainable level that we need. So our partnership with France is merely an offshoot of the country-to-country partnership," he said.
The Defense Chief also highlighted France's advanced capabilities across maritime, land, aerial, cyber, and intelligence domains, as well as its participation in multilateral exercises and support for Philippine defense modernization efforts.
Indo-Pacific Engagement and Pacific Island Solidarity
Beyond bilateral ties, Teodoro signaled that the SOVFA would serve as a platform for broader regional engagement, including stronger connectivity with Pacific Island nations.
"We will also look forward to engaging closer with our Pacific Island brothers and sisters because we are a Pacific Island country as well. And all of these efforts, together with the SOVFA with France, will make connectivity and synergy much, much easier and much, much more dynamic for the Philippines on a progressive, forward-looking defense posture," Teodoro said.
France's own strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, rooted in its Pacific territories and its commitment to the rules-based international order, were also cited by the Defense Secretary as reinforcing factors in the partnership.
SOVFA Signed in March, Now Headed to Senate Plenary
The Philippines-France SOVFA was formally signed on March 26, 2026, by Secretary Teodoro and French Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Catherine Vautrin. The committee-level approval on September 10 clears the agreement for endorsement to the Senate plenary, where it will require concurrence before taking effect.
Secretary Teodoro closed his testimony by expressing appreciation to the Senate committee for its support of the agreement.
By the Numbers
- September 10, 2026 — Date of Senate Committee on Foreign Relations committee-level approval
- March 26, 2026 — Date the PH-France SOVFA was signed by Secretary Teodoro and French Minister Catherine Vautrin
- 2016 — Year the Arbitral Award ruling in favor of the Philippines was issued under UNCLOS
- 5 domains — Areas of French capability cited by Teodoro: maritime, land, aerial, cyber, and intelligence
Why This Matters
The committee-level approval of the PH-France SOVFA marks a significant step in the Philippines' strategy to broaden its coalition of defense partners as it faces sustained pressure on its maritime territory. Secretary Teodoro's testimony makes explicit that the Philippines views expanding such partnerships not as a diplomatic option but as a security imperative. France's standing as both a European power and a Pacific nation with territorial presence in the region gives the agreement strategic weight beyond a standard bilateral defense arrangement.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the Department of National Defense / DND Philippines