By Joann Santiago
MANILA, April 16 (PNA) — 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. (PNA)