President Rodrigo Duterte has warned East and Southeast Asian nations against turning the South China Sea row into a “locus of power play” as he underscored the need for peaceful resolution of maritime disputes. Speaking at the 15th East Asia Summit held Saturday via video conference, the President urged state leaders to lower the tension between countries with overlapping claims in the strategic and resource-rich waterway. “Our disputes in the South China Sea may seem intractable. But they are not greater than our combined capacity to manage and solve,” Duterte said.

Blancaflor, M. (2020, November 16). Sea dispute: No way for power play. Daily Tribune, pp. A1, A2.