A Palace official on Thursday did not discount the
possibility that the maritime issue between China
and several Asian countries will again be discussed during the 26th ASEAN
Summit to be held in Malaysia
from April 26-27, 2015.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO)
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a briefing, said the issue on how to have a
legally binding Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea had been
discussed during the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia
in 2013, in Brunei Darussalam in 2013 and in Myanmar , last year.
He said this topic has always been discussed because it
pertains to the stability in the Asia and the
Pacific.
”This is always a topic with high level of interest and
priority assigned by the ASEAN member countries to it,” he said.
Coloma stressed that the Philippines will continue to push
for a rules-based approach in addressing the problem of maritime entitlements
in the disputed waters.
He said President Benigno Aquino III has always stressed the
importance of South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea
because of its role in international trade.
”That is why it is important to have the freedom of
navigation and overall regional peace and stability,” he said.
Relatively, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently
said it is seeking additional support from the US
regarding the latter’s position on the Philippines ’ rules-based approach
on the maritime dispute.
Coloma said that based on his understanding, the DFA wants a
concrete manifestation from the Obama administration on the latter’s “pivot to
Asia” policy and its stand regarding the proposition to have regional peace and
stability.
He noted that US
President Barack Obama, in his speech during an event in Jamaica , recently called on China not to bully smaller countries and
specifically naming the Philippines
and Vietnam .
”I think these are specific remarks that indicates the
direction of US’ foreign policy here in Asia Pacific,” he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=753558
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