The Philippine government called on the regional bloc at the 43rd Asean Summit in Indonesia to unite in fostering rules-based order to preserve peace and defuse tension in the South China Sea (SCS), House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said. Romualdez, in a statement, said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stressed that it is imperative for Asean to leverage its regional architecture “to serve as a diplomatic bridge that promotes mutual understanding, strategic trust, and peaceful settlement of disputes.”

Dela Cruz, J. M. N. (2023, September 7). PHL calls for Asean unity in fostering rules-based order in South China Sea. Business Mirror, p. A3.