Zubiri: 17 APPF countries vowed support for PH's UN Security Council election bid

Seventeen member-countries of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) have committed to support the Philippines’ bid for a seat in the UN Security Council for the term 2027–2028, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

In a press conference on the last day of the 31st APPF held at the Philippine International Convention Center, Zubiri raised the importance of securing the UN body’s seat especially amid the problems in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“Kapag may seat ka na sa security council, nandyan din ang China as a permanent member, and the superpowers are all there, of course, we can make an appeal,” he said.

(If you have a seat in the UN Security Council where China is a permanent member together with other superpowers, we can make an appeal.)

Zubiri also said that the UN Security Council would allow the country to ask other countries to prevent the escalation of tension in certain regions in the world.

“Ang pag-upo po natin diyan ay pag-apela sa mga kasamahan natin sa security council na…huwag sana mang-harass. Huwag sana manggulo. Huwag mam-bully, and a stronger voice in the UN,” he said.

(Our election to the UNSC would allow us to appeal to our fellow members not to harass, cause tension, or bully other countries. We will have a stronger voice in the UN.)

“If you’re only one member of the over 200 member-nations, almost 200 member-nations, it’s a lonely, quiet voice. But when you’re in the security council, kasama mo lahat ng (you’re with other) superpowers, so malaking bagay yan (then that’s a big thing),” he added.

During the first day of the APPF, Zubiri and Speaker Martin Romualdez said that there were 16 countries who had committed their support for the Philippines' bid for the UN Security Council election.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said that there were several countries that had already committed to vote for the Philippines to get a seat in the UN Security Council.

[The] Security Council is a principal organ of the UN, and the council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security. So lahat ng major problems of the world kino-consider ng security council. So, if we are on the council, we will have a voice in this issue, sa mga global issues,” Manalo said in September.

He said this campaign ‘'manifests our desire to offer the best of the Philippine diplomatic tradition.''

The Philippines will be competing against Kyrgyzstan for the seat. —VAL, GMA Integrated News