Marcos to ASEAN, East Asian leaders: Oppose 'dangerous' use of coast guard, militia vessels in SCS

JAKARTA, Indonesia — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday called on the ASEAN and East Asian states to stop the dangerous use of coast guards and militia vessels in the South China Sea (SCS).

“The Philippines fully supports adherence to international law and the rules-based order. We must oppose the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea. We are concerned over illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the militarization of reclaimed features in the South China Sea,” Marcos said at the 18th East Asia Summit.

Marcos expressed concern over the consistent actions that are in violation of obligations under international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and under the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of the Parties in the South China Sea.

He reiterated his call to urge all parties in the SCS dispute to exercise self-restraint.

“We must not allow tensions in the South China Sea to further escalate. In this spirit and in accordance with the DOC, we continue to urge all parties to exercise self-restraint and refrain from unilateral and assertive activities that would increase tensions in the region, misunderstandings, and miscalculations in the South China Sea,” he said.

Marcos reiterated his commitment to uphold the rule of law and support the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. 

“We are still committed to defending our sovereignty, our sovereign rights, and the maritime jurisdiction in accordance with UNCLOS,” he said. 

He added that the Philippines “remains resolute towards the peaceful resolution of disputes. We continue to support freedom of navigation and overflight, and the rules-based international order in the South China Sea.”

Apart from the ASEAN countries, present at the summit were United States Vice President Kamala Harris, Russian Federation Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Australian Prime Minister Anothony Albanese.

Marcos also expressed concern over the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine as well as the “recent surge” of the intercontinental ballistic missile test and other actions by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Marcos told the summit that “these pose untold dangers to global peace and security.”

“The Philippines firmly believes that it is now necessary to create conditions for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine. We call on all countries to play a constructive role in contributing to this endeavor, particularly our partners,” the Philippine president said.

“The Philippines has consistently reaffirmed our support for the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, especially of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence, with respect to the conflict in Ukraine as well as other areas of concern,” he added.

Marcos also reiterated his call for North Korea to fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions towards the realization of lasting peace and stability in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. —KBK, GMA Integrated News