Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday urged all parties to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to prevent the South China Sea (SCS) from becoming the focal point of armed conflict.
The Filipino leader made this call during his intervention at the 42nd ASEAN Summit Retreat Session in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, describing the UNCLOS as the constitution of the seas.
“We will continue to urge all to abide by the 1982 UNCLOS, as ‘the constitution of the oceans.’ We must ensure that the South China Sea does not become a nexus for armed conflict,” Marcos said.
Aside from advocating a rules-based maritime order anchored on the 1982 UNCLOS, Marcos said the Philippines is also committed to the implementation of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), as well as the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.
“We must avoid the ascendance of might and the aggressive revision of the international order. In an increasingly volatile world, we require constraints on power contained by the force of the rule of law,” he added.
Marcos said the rules-based regional architecture should be underpinned by the Centrality of ASEAN towards inclusive engagement in the Indo-Pacific, as exemplified in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which highlighted the four priority areas of cooperation of the ASEAN Outlook that will serve as guideposts.
He said the country would continue to protect its sovereignty amid concerns over recent incidents in the South China Sea, in particular the infringements on its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, which have been affecting fisherfolk and coastal communities.
“Despite the continued incidents of Filipino vessels in our waters and attempts to deny and obstruct our ability to exercise our sovereign rights in our Exclusive Economic Zone, the Philippines will remain firm in upholding and protecting our entitlements under UNCLOS,” Marcos said.
Aside from the Philippines, fellow ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have overlapping claims with China in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway believed to be rich in resources, including natural gas.
Cessation of violence in Myanmar
Meanwhile, Marcos urged the utmost restraint and immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, as he expressed the Philippines’ full support for Indonesia’s initiatives on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
“We continue to call on Myanmar to abide by and implement the Five-Point Consensus, and for our external partners to complement ASEAN’s efforts in the context of the Five-Point Consensus,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the heightened tension in the Korean Peninsula.
“The Philippines consistently underscores the need for the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to abide by prevailing UN Security Council Resolutions and to engage in dialogue with concerned parties towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Marcos said.
In terms of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and its possible escalation using nuclear weapons, Marcos urged the countries concerned to search for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The President is attending the two-day 42nd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits and is expected to fly back to Manila Thursday. — Filane Mikee Cervantes (PNA)
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