Marcos asserts ASEAN not useless in South China Sea row

Manila Bulletin

President Marcos rebuffed criticisms that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is merely a “talk shop” as he underscored its role in keeping peace and stability in the disputed South China Sea region.  READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/12/marcos-asserts-asean-not-useless  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00Well, first of all, I don't agree that this is just a talk show, but even if it were,

00:04I'd rather be talking than watching conflict. So if the talking is keeping conflict away,

00:13then ASEAN will have achieved at least one of its most important purposes. But I think

00:23what is important is that we are able to once again make our position very clear

00:29on different issues. Of course, South China Sea was a big part of that. And we once again,

00:38as I have always strived to do, made our position clear, the Philippines' position clear,

00:44on how we see our sovereignty, our territory, our sovereign rights, and how we must be allowed

00:54to exercise them. So again, it is important for the Philippines, for example, to be able to explain

01:04to member states and the other leaders who have come to join us, the situation as we face it,

01:14because understandably, they do not live with this situation day to day. And it is important to

01:24make them aware that it is getting better, it's getting worse, it's about the same,

01:29we're finding ways and to see to show that. And it is important, it is always very useful,

01:37because at some point, there are many offers of help. And they say, if that is the problem,

01:43maybe we could do this, maybe we could, maybe our country can send vessels, maybe we could

01:48have joint operations, maybe we can have discussions, maybe I could serve as an

01:52interlocutor. All of these offers, which would not come if we did not make our position clear,

02:01and explain to them what the present situation is, how the situations have evolved.

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