Marcos says PH, Singapore to continue promoting stability in SCS

The Philippines and Singapore reaffirmed their commitment to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said on Thursday.

Marcos had a bilateral talk with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during the latter's state visit to the Philippines.

''Aside from bilateral issues, we also discussed regional issues of mutual interest. As geographical neighbors in Southeast Asia, the South China Sea / West Philippine Sea holds great importance to both our countries,'' Marcos said during the joint press statement.

''So, we look forward to the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to maintain and to promote peace, security, and stability in the region as well as our strong support [to] the peaceful resolution of any such disputes,'' he added. 

For his part, Shanmugaratnam said the South China Sea is ''an extremely important issue,'' noting the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in maintaining peace in the region. 

''Singapore's position of course is well known... we consistently upheld the rights of all states to freedom of navigation and overflight and strongly supported the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS,'' he said. 

''That's fundamental... UNCLOS has to be the legal framework within which all the activities in the oceans and seas are carried out,'' he added. 

During his keynote address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in May in Singapore, Marcos said the vision of having a peaceful and stable South China Sea has remained to be a ''distant reality.''

Marcos had said illegal and coercive actions continue in the region, and these violate the Philippines' sovereign rights.

Other countries, including the United States, Japan, and Australia, have since expressed support for the Philippines against China's intrusive actions in the region.—LDF, GMA Integrated News