In his attendance in the 37th ASEAN Summit via video conferencing, President Rodrigo R. Duterte laid out in the opening ceremony the significant points he wanted to propose in the summit such as stronger response to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and climate change.
The Chief Executive also pushed for the country’s interest regarding the issue on the South China Sea as he noted that “the Philippines is one with ASEAN in transforming the South China Sea into a sea of peace and prosperity for all. We are committed to the immediate conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. And if I may add, it has been a long time and it is a long wait.”
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque disclosed the President’s firm stand on the matter.
“It is an authoritative interpretation of application of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea) and is now part of international law. This cannot be ignored by any other country no matter how powerful it is,” Sec. Roque underscored.
President Duterte excused himself from the meeting of the ASEAN heads of state to attend to the impact of Typhoon #UlyssesPH to the Philippines. He admitted to his fellow leaders that Typhoon #UlyssesPH brought extensive damage to the country and that he needed to attend to this pressing concern. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
