Gibo calls for stronger unity among Asean members

MANILA, Philippines —   At a gathering of his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. has called for unity in upholding each member-country’s rights, specifically through peaceful and legal means, amid territorial disputes that threaten regional stability.

In his speech at the opening ceremony of the 20th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting and 13th ADMM Plus in Cebu yesterday, Teodoro said unity “is all the more necessary as we contend with changes in our international environment, which pose challenges to the rights of smaller and archipelagic states, including those of us in ASEAN.”

“Against this backdrop, and in line with the Philippines’ theme of navigating our future together, we humbly offer, in our capacity as chair of the ADMM, three key messages to guide our discussions growing forward. First, in a fragmenting world, our internal stability and intra-ASEAN unity are vital, perhaps even in the future existential,” Teodoro said.

“For it is only when we are united that we can effectively uphold ASEAN centrality and the principles that bind us, such as mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes and renunciation of the threat or use of force,” he stressed.

Teodoro noted that ASEAN was founded on the belief that strength lies in diversity. “We must therefore not allow our differences to divide us from within,” he said.

“And where such differences exist, including in the South China Sea, we shall settle them through peaceful and legal means,” he said, welcoming “the efforts of our kin in Cambodia and Thailand to maintain the ceasefire agreement and seek a peaceful and durable solution to the current situation.”

Teodoro said the Philippines, for its part, “reaffirms its continued participation in the process settled by our leaders, the ASEAN Observer Team, with due regard for the sensitivities of all concerned.”

Functional cooperation

He also emphasized ASEAN’s functional cooperation as an essential part of “enhancing trust, maintaining trust and confidence among our defense establishments and producing purposive outcomes for our peoples.”

“Through the ADMM and the ADMM Plus, particularly the working groups and the interaction between our establishments down the line, we have made significant strides in areas such as maritime security, the protection of critical underwater infrastructure, although more needs to be done and quicker, and people-to-people exchanges. And we hope to build on these efforts in the days to come,” he said.

“Amid supply chain challenges from conflicts beyond our shores, we also see value in expanding our cooperation to secure food and energy security,” he added.

“This initiative gains in importance as Southeast Asia braces for a super El Niño, which will likewise affect food, water, electricity and connectivity in our respective countries, thereby having serious potential security implications,” he told his fellow defense ministers.

Likewise, Teodoro pointed out that “as defense and military practitioners, we know what the threats that are existing in our region, how they affect the safety of our citizens and the stability of the region.”

“Therefore, we hope to foster an environment that is conducive to frank and open exchanges of views throughout the week in the spirit of candor and ASEAN solidarity. Understandably, in our public pronouncements, we are guided by our respective national policies and diplomatic considerations,” he said.