By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday renewed his call for regional peace and stability in accelerating the adoption of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea amid territorial disputes and tensions in the region.
During the plenary at the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Marcos reiterated the Philippines’ call for a COC that is guided by international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“We underscore the urgent need to accelerate the adoption of a legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to safeguard maritime rights, promote stability, and prevent miscalculations at sea,” the President said in his intervention.
The Chief Executive’s call came after the China Coast Guard (CCG) ships used water cannons and sideswiped two vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources conducting routine marine scientific research missions in Pag-asa Cays in the West Philippine Sea on May 21.
Marcos also urged ASEAN member states to work together in addressing regional challenges such as geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, and climate change—transforming these obstacles “into opportunities for shared growth and stability.”
As the Philippines was chosen to be the host of the Board of the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage, Marcos also called for increasing climate financing to meet ASEAN’s climate goals and for scientific and evidence-based, investment-led, and transformative solutions to the climate crisis amid climate-related risks affecting the region.
“In line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its pillars, the Philippines will continue to work so that ASEAN should be secure, peaceful, and stable, governed by the rule of law, prosperous and innovative, emerging as a resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centered community,” Marcos said. (with report from Kenneth Paciente / PTV News)
-jpv
