WIllard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin called for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea as he delivered the omnibus Philippine intervention in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia.
“We want an early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that excludes no country or power in the rest of the world,” Locsin said.
“The COC will not, nor can it claim for itself the sea after which it is named. That would curtail the immemorial freedom of the seas and international law," he added.
"We appreciate initiatives to finally advance the negotiations beyond the provisional approval of the Preamble," he said.
Locsin also underscored the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award in providing “legal clarity” and “just and fair solution to disagreements.”
“Commitment to international law is the only honorable bulwark of law-abiding nations against grim reapers of conflict who thrive in the obscurity of doubletalk. Surrender and submission are out of the question,” he said.
“UNCLOS, whose 40th anniversary we commemorate this year, and the 2016 Arbitral Award, both provide legal clarity to all nations around the globe. These two landmark documents are not just beacons but the only coordinates pointing to a just and fair solution to disagreements.”
Locsin expressed support for granting Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to the United States, saying the US is “the world’s leading force for the rule of law in international relations.”
He also said that looks forward to the convening of the proposed ASEAN-U.S. Summit this year where ASEAN Leaders are expected to meet with US President Joe Biden.
Locsin, however, rejected a proposal for the Leaders to meet with members of the U.S. Congress, saying it conflates the separation of powers as “foreign policy is the exclusive remit of the executive.”
“We hope the dates can be finalized as soon as possible in view of important religious activities in our region such as the Holy Week and the Holy Month of Ramadan,” he said.
On Myanmar, Locsin said the Philippines will not accept Myanmar’s Instrument of Ratification of RCEP as he called for the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, including a dialogue that includes Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.
“It should be a genuine dialogue and not a ventriloquist act,” Locsin said.
The consensus, among others, calls for the immediate stop of violence in Myanmar and calls for a constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to seek a peaceful solution.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/18/22/locsin-calls-for-early-conclusion-of-code-of-conduct
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