President Rodrigo Duterte renewed his call on his counterparts in Southeast Asia to remain united in pursuing peace and stability in the South China Sea (SCS). The President stressed at the 38th and 39th Summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that the bloc should be committed to resolving maritime disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international laws. “We have come a long way in keeping the peace and promoting prosperity in our region. We must not allow those with diverging interests to make our efforts fail,” said Duterte, who was in Malacañang during the virtual meeting on Tuesday.

Blancaflor, M. (2021, October 28). ‘Let’s keep peace at SCS’. Daily Tribune, pp. A1, A2.