Official summit dates known late this month

The official dates for the holding of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit will be known before the end of the month.

This was the assurance of summit spokesperson and Philippine ambassador to Malaysia Victoriano Lecaros amid doubts on whether or not the summit will push through next month as announced by the National Organizing Committee.

Malacañang earlier announced that only four countries- Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia - have confirmed their attendance to the rescheduled summit. The proposed date is from January 11 to 14, depending on the availability of the ASEAN leaders.

But Lecaros said it is too early to list down the delegates to the rescheduled summit because the senior ministers who were in Cebu last Saturday had assured that their respective countries will make confirmation one and a half week from Saturday.

"Murag sayo pa karon nga manglista sa tanan kay sige pa man nga gakonsultahay ang leaders karon," Lecaros said.

Lecaros also belittled the statement of the Japanese economy minister who alleged that the Philippines had lost credibility when it postponed the summit to January, saying that the statement should be taken as a personal view and not as the official stand of the Japanese government.

Besides, the Japanese official was the only one who issued negative comments on the country among the economy ministers of the other 15 countries attending the summit, he added.

Asked if the government would file a diplomatic protest, Lecaros said the Japanese minister's statement is not worth a reply. Nevertheless, he defended the government's decision to reset the summit even if Typhoon Seniang did not directly hit Cebu.

Lecaros said he was even present when the NOC made the decision to suspend the summit due to "Seniang."

Lecaros explained that the NOC even called up the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration almost every ten minutes to ask for the real weather condition and when the weather bureau revealed the possibility that "Seniang" might become a super typhoon, they all decided not to take the risk.

The Japanese official's statement was reportedly issued after he read the negative reports from the Philippine media. - Fred P. Languido/LPM