VICE President Jejomar Binay on Friday urged the leaders of the rich Asian and African nations to be protectors of their neighbors instead of being sources of insecurity and fear.
Binay made the call during the first Bandung Conference in Indonesia to promote peace and the sovereignty of nations over their territories, saying these had “gained greater validity and relevance over time” and “remain the best weapons of the weak against the strong.”
The call was described as a response to China’s continuing reclamation work in the West Philippine Sea that is said to have destroyed the environment.
The Philippines has filed a complaint against China before a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal in an attempt to have China’s vague nine-dash line claim in the West Philippine Sea declared illegal.
In other developments:
• A Southeast Asian summit will urge “self-restraint” in the South China Sea but avoid directly criticizing Chinese actions that have fanned tensions in the contested waters, a diplomatic source with knowledge of a draft statement said Friday.
Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gather in Malaysia on Monday for an annual meeting expected to include discussion of efforts under way by China to create islands on fragile coral reefs who ownership is disputed.
The actions have outraged the Philippines and added to regional concerns over Beijing’s assertion of sovereignty over virtually the entire South China Sea.
• The Philippines has intensified the patrols in the West Philippine Sea following the aggressive actions by Chinese ships against Filipino fishermen.
“We have to do our mandate to protect and defend our territory,” said Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez, head of the Western Command based in Palawan.
“We will use all our assets to patrol the West Philippine Sea,” Lopez said.
• The head of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said Friday China’s reclamation in the South China Sea had damaged 311 hectares of coral reef.
“The effect is coral degradation, the destruction of fish fingerlings and the areas where the fish live,” agency head Asis Perez said.
• Malacañang on Friday said Filipino fishermen do not need permission from China to fish in the disputed waters in the South China Sea.
“Our fishermen do not need permission to fish in our waters,” presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said.
Binay, reading the Philippines’ position during the 10th anniversary of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership and the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, also emphasized the opportunity of testing the principles in the relationships between nations in the “Global South.”
“But the spirit of Bandung could have a greater opportunity to be tested not necessarily in the relationship between North and South but in the relationship between South and South,” Binay said.
“The spirit could come fully alive when the more powerful countries in Asia and Africa, instead of becoming the source of insecurity and fear for others, would act as protector of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their lesser neighbors.
“We would like to believe that the countries that had the courage to proclaim the spirit of Bandung 60 years ago are in the best position to pursue this option today.”
Binay said all countries had the responsibility to keep the peace and pursue prosperity. He praised the efforts of countries like Japan to foster cooperation with the international community to achieve peace and prosperity.
“The Philippines believes that we all have the responsibility of maintaining peace and of continuing the pursuit of prosperity and welcomes the proactive efforts of countries such as Japan to further cooperate with the international community in bringing greater peace, stability, and prosperity,” Binay said.
He expressed optimism that Asian and African countries could play a vital role in instituting meaningful change worldwide.
“We have no doubt that working together through the Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned Movement, the countries of Asia and Africa could perform a vital role in constructing a world without famines, ignorance, terrorism or war—a world where science and the arts have combined to extract the best possible results from scientific innovation and technological change. The spirit of Bandung could provide the political impetus to lift us to greater heights,” Binay said.
“Let the spirit of Bandung 60 years ago continue to be our beacon as our two great continents, Asia and Africa, forge ahead in strategic partnership and for the greater benefit of our people.” With AFP