Duterte to tackle COVID response, sea dispute at ASEAN meet —Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte will participate in an online summit of world leaders from November 12 to 15 to share his views on COVID-19 response, South China Sea issue, and other international developments, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Duterte will take part in the 37th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits to be hosted by Vietnam, the chairperson of the 10-nation regional bloc for this year.

Some members of his Cabinet, including Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista will join Duterte in the online summit.

“The President will exchange views with his counterparts on the region’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, future direction of ASEAN community building, and regional and international developments,” the Palace said through the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs.

“He will advance Philippine positions on public health emergencies cooperation, regional economic integration, migrant workers’ rights, climate change, disaster risk reduction management, counter-terrorism, and the South China Sea issue,” it added.

At the 36th ASEAN Summit in June, Duterte urged the region to strengthen its capacity to address future infectious diseases outbreaks through research and capacity-building on health technology development.

He also welcomed the establishment of the ASEAN Response Fund for COVID-19.

Likewise, the President said at the time that terrorism, transnational crimes, and natural calamities could undermine the security and development of ASEAN, one of the world’s fastest-growing and most dynamic regions before the pandemic hit early this year.

Southeast Asian leaders will have a plenary session on Thursday to be followed by ASEAN’s meetings with the region’s dialogue partners, including China, Japan, South Korea, and India, as well as the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit.

Vietnam is also expected to transfer the ASEAN chairmanship to Brunei at the closing ceremony on November 15. —LBG, GMA News