Duterte reiterates call for peace, stability in South China Sea

President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his call for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to stand united in pursuing peace and stability in the South China Sea.

At the 39th ASEAN Summit, he said the pursuit of resolution to the dispute in the contested waters should be in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.

“We have come a long way in keeping the peace and promoting prosperity in our region. We must not allow those with diverging interests to make our efforts fail,” Duterte said.

On July 12, 2016, the Philippines scored a victory against China in a landmark ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating Beijing’s massive claims in the South China Sea.

The 501-page ruling was handed down in The Hague, Netherlands, more than three years after the case was filed by the Philippines under the Aquino administration in January 2013.

He also urged other countries to translate commitments into action as regards the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

“Talks should not remain empty rhetoric. They should be translated into action to fortify the trust and confidence we have cultivated through the years. Acta non verba. Deeds, not words,” he said.

Duterte lauded the Philippines’ contribution to the substantive progress in the second reading of the Single Draft COC Negotiating Text, as it reaffirms its commitment to the conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

He also thanked China for supporting ASEAN’s pandemic response, particularly by "making life-saving vaccines global public goods."

Duterte on Tuesday attended a virtual meeting of the ASEAN for the second straight year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was joined by leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei, host of the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits.

The ASEAN meetings will run from October 26 to 28.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA News