PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte assured Tuesday, November 13, his fellow Southeast Asian leaders that the Philippines is determined to follow through with the early adoption of an "effective" code of conduct in the disputed South China Sea.
Duterte made the commitment in his intervention during a working dinner with regional leaders after the opening of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Singapore.
Duterte said the Philippines, as the country coordinator of Asean-China dialogue relations until 2021, "is prepared to do its part" to fast-track the consultations on the sea code of conduct.
"In our role as country coordinator of Asean-China Dialogue Relations until 2021, we are committed to work with all concerned parties in the substantive negotiations and early conclusion of an effective Code of Conduct," he said.
The proposed code of conduct in the South China Sea that remains under negotiations is a binding agreement that aims to ensure peace and stability in the disputed waterway.
Four of 10 Asean member-states that are claiming parts of the resource-rich South China Sea include Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
China and Taiwan are likewise claiming most features of the contested waters.
On Tuesday, November 13, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also expressed hope that the sea code that intends to settle disputes in the hotly-contested South China Sea would be completed in three years.
Amid negotiations over the code of conduct, Duterte sought the "full and effective implementation" of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
The DOC, inked by 10 Asean members and China on November 4, 2002, seeks to exercise self-restraint and prevent non-militarization within the contested waters. However, tensions have continued to escalate among South China Sea claimants despite the DOC.
"We likewise reaffirm our commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," Duterte said.
"This includes the peaceful settlement of disputes, the exercise of self-restraint, and the freedom of navigation and over flight in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 UN (United Nations) Convention on the Law of the Sea," he added.
On July 12, 2016, the Philippines won its petition filed before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, Netherlands when the international court ruled that China has invalid claims to vast waters of South China Sea.
Duterte, who has maintained that he wants to bolster ties with China, which he branded as the Philippines' "friend," has ruled out adversarial approach in resolving maritime row. (SunStar Philippines)