Rody raises Korean peninsula, SCS issues with Brunei, Australia

MANILA, Philippines — The tension on the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea maritime dispute were raised during President Duterte’s bilateral meetings with the leaders of Brunei and Australia. 

Duterte met separately with Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit Sunday night.  

In his meeting with Bolkiah, his first engagement with a fellow leader after he arrived from Vietnam, Duterte emphasized that the tensions in the Korean Peninsula can be defused through dialogue. 

“It must be resolved through dialogue and must not affect the lives of people in the neighboring countries,” Duterte was quoted by a Malacañang statement as saying.  

Duterte said China holds the key in resolving the rising tension in the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has been testing ballistic missiles, raising concerns among its neighbors who called it a threat to regional peace. Under the leadership of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, the rogue state boosted its nuclear capabilities despite the economic sanctions imposed on it by the United Nations. 

The ASEAN foreign ministers have raised concerns over North Korea’s activities and called for a “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.”

Duterte also assured Bolkiah that he is ready to help fellow ASEAN countries in distress, including those facing terrorist threats. He also promised to further strengthen the relationship between the Philippines and Brunei.  

The Philippine leader also praised Bolkiah for his “extraordinary service to humanity” and thanked him for the assistance to disaster-hit areas. He thanked Bolkiah for hosting a number of Filipinos in Brunei and treating them as his own.?“I consider it an honor for my country and for myself that you have recognized the importance of our mutual relations, the strong bonds between our two countries,” Duterte said. 

Meeting with Australian leader

Duterte also met with Prime Minister Turnbull and discussed key regional issues, including the South China Sea maritime row. 

A Malacañang statement said Turnbull had praised Duterte for his stance that claimants in the maritime dispute could not afford to go to war. 

“We’re also concerned about what’s happening in the South China Sea – the continued build-up of military installations,” Duterte said.  

The Australian leader also lauded the Philippines’ victory against Islamic State-tied Maute terrorists who laid siege to Marawi City.  

“The leaders talked about the crafting of a binding code of conduct for claimants, extremism, illegal drugs and trade and commerce,” the Malacañang statement said.  

Duterte and Turnbull also discussed sea piracy in the Sulu Sea and vowed to strengthen their cooperation to address the threat. 

They also talked about regional trade, with Turnbull mentioning his country’s huge potential because of its enormous market.

Duterte promised to further deepen the relationship between the Philippines and Australia.  

“I assure you that the relations between the two countries are strong as it has always been, no problem with that. And we continue to cooperate in our alliances,” he said. 

Turnbull visited Camp Aguinaldo yesterday afternoon. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Australian Defense Force (ADF) welcomed Turnbull with a training demonstration showcasing how both military forces work together to improve their capabilities in the area of urban warfare.

The training demonstration on enhanced counterterrorism cooperation on improvised explosive device was followed by a meeting with Philippine military officials and the joint task force.

Australia has offered to train Filipino soldiers in urban warfare to combat the spread of Islamic extremism following the crisis in Marawi City.

Australia sent 90 ADF personnel to the Philippines to train Filipino soldiers in urban warfare and counterterrorism skills. It also helped the AFP in its battle against the Maute group in Marawi by deploying two AP-3C Orion surveillance aircraft to assist the military in information-gathering and analysis. – With Michael Punongbayan