Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. yesterday said the Philippines acknowledges "freedom of navigation flights" conducted by Australia, which he said supports the call of member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to maintain the principle of freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed West Philippine Sea/South China Sea. He said Australia, during the ASEAN-East Asia Summit in Malaysia last month, supported a call to come up with a rules-based peaceful settlement of disputes in that area aside from upholding the principles of freedom of navigation and overflight.

Montemayor, J. (2015, December 18). PH backs Australia flights over China Sea. Malaya Business Insight, p. B3.