SA pagbisita sa Pilipinas ng U.S Department of Defense Secretary ay nilagdaan ni Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro, Jr. at United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III ang General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) sa pagitan ng dalawang magka-alyadong bansa.
Ito umano ay isang mahalagang hakbang para palawakin ang ‘information sharing’ at higit pang mapaunlad ang ‘interoperability capabilities’ ng Pilipinas at Amerika.
Bago isinagawa ang pagpirma sa nasabing kasunduan ay nagkaroon muna ng pagpupulong ang dalawang defense official. Ginawaran din ni Teodoro ng Outstanding Achievement Medal (OAM) si Secretary Austin, bilang pagkilala sa malaking ambag ng kalihim sa pagpapalakas sa Philippines-U.S. bilateral defense ties at pagsulong sa regional security sa Indo-Pacific.
Kasunod ng nasabing kaganapan ang groundbreaking ceremony para sa itatayong Combined Coordination Center sa bahagi ng Aduana helipad, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Ang lilikhain na bagong command and control fusion center ay magsisilbing daan para sa mas maayos at mabilis na ugnayan ng dalawang bansa ”
“I’m honored to be at Camp Aguinaldo for the groundbreaking of the Combined Coordination Center. This center will enhance interoperability for years to come and reflects the unprecedented level of operational cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines,” pahayag ni Sec Austin.
Tugon ni Teodoro :”That is on our level, and on the operational level, we have the inauguration of the Combined Coordinating Center now for a unified picture of the shared areas of responsibility and common approaches to threats against both our securities. This groundbreaking, I foresee, is part of the strategic approach to facing our shared threats that both of our countries have.”
Sa nasabing groundbreaking ceremony ay pinasalamatan ni Teodoro si Austin sa kanyang buong pusong suporta, sa pagsisikap ng dalawang bansa na higit pang palakasin ang matagal nang matibay na alyansa, na kinikilala maging ng Malacañang Palace .
Sabi pa ni Teodoro na mismong si Pangulong Marcos ay paulit-ulit na sinabi na ang presensya ng Estados Unidos sa rehiyon ng Indo-Pasipiko ay mahalaga para mapanatili ang kapayapaan at katatagan sa rehiyong ito. Sinabi niya ito nang walang alinlangan, anang kalihim.
Ayon naman kay Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner, “Today isn’t just a ceremony, it is the dawn of a new era in collaboration and partnership between the Philippines and the United States, particularly its armed forces.”
“ This groundbreaking represents not only the construction of a facility, but the solidification of our commitment to one another, ensuring that our forces stand united in the face of challenges. The combined coordination center will be a vital nexus for our joint operations, a gateway for information sharing and strategic coordination,” dagdag pa ni Brawner.
