President Duterte made his debut on the regional and international stage when he attended in Laos this week the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Meanwhile, President sought an explanation from China on its reported construction activities on Scarborough Shoal despite an arbitral Court ruling against China's territorial claims. Scarborough is well within the economic Zone, he asserted.

Lobo, F. (2016, September 9). Du30's debut on ASEAN, int'l stage; China asked to explain shoal presence. Manila Bulletin, p. 11.