Why PH is a force for peace in Southeast Asia
The Philippines is committed to protecting its national interests as well as the common security of the Southeast Asian community. Far from being a troublemaker, as falsely claimed recently by the Chinese ambassador, the Philippines is a force for peace and cooperation in Southeast Asia and beyond. Here are five realities.
First, the Philippines is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) since 1967 and its predecessors: the Malaysia-Philippine-Indonesia group in 1963 and the Association of Southeast Asia in 1961. All of these indigenous intergovernmental organizations have one overarching purpose: to maintain peace and harmony among the peoples and governments in our region. Since its independence, the Philippines has not gone into war with any nation.
Second, the Philippines is a signatory to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. Both are legally-binding commitments against the use or threat of force in settling disputes among nations. We have also signed a political declaration, the Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea of 2002, where all parties to the disputes have promised not to occupy all uninhabited features and to respect the freedom of navigation in and overflight above the area.
As the current Asean chair, the Philippines is doing its best to conclude a legally-binding code of conduct in the West Philippine Sea to bind all claimant states to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of their activities that might complicate or escalate disputes in the area. The Philippines and Vietnam have entered into a memorandum of understanding on incident prevention in the two countries’ overlapping claims in the area.
Third, through dialogue between friends, the Philippines has settled its overlapping maritime claims with Indonesia, which run across the Mindanao Sea and the Celebes Sea in the southern Philippines. Two decades of sincere and productive negotiations produced the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Boundary Agreement under Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2014.
The Philippine Senate ratified it in 2019. With a clearly demarcated EEZ boundary, guided by the official chart, both Filipino and Indonesian fishing vessels are now able to operate and undertake livelihood activities protected by both countries’ law enforcement authorities. Furthermore, Filipino fishing vessels may exercise freedom and safety of navigation, when passing through the EEZ of Indonesia, on their way to the Pacific Ocean.
Fourth, the Philippines has maintained peace and cooperation with Malaysia despite our existing claim over Sabah. Diplomatic language is used whenever the Philippines reaffirms its assertion that it is the successor state of the former Sultanate of Sulu. The Philippines has no intention of using or threatening the use of force in settling the dispute.
To reciprocate, Malaysia has demonstrated good faith in serving as the official third-party facilitator for peace negotiations between the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Bilateral dialogue is actively sustained through the Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission and our expanding bilateral trade now approximates $10 billion.
Fifth, at the moment, Philippine law enforcement authorities are working closely with several countries in investigating the transnational drug smuggling shipment, which was intercepted in Laos while bound for southern Philippines. The joint task force of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police has identified 11 persons of interest in its initial findings.
For the past four years, PDEA has reported that it has seized 16 tons of illegal drugs with an estimated value of more than P124 billion and reported 85 percent conviction rate. The volume and value of the seized drugs were higher than the 12 tons worth P91 billion confiscated during the previous administration.
The Philippine Center on Transnational Crime has been working with its counterparts abroad to combat organized transnational crime, such as illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, money laundering, terrorism, arms smuggling, trafficking in persons, and piracy.
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Jun Abad is assistant director general of the Philippine Information Agency and a former director of political and security bureau of the Asean Headquarters in Jakarta.
