We’re living in challenging times

I’m currently in New York for the 79th UN General Assembly high-level meetings together with the Philippine delegation headed by our Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, DFA Undersecretary Teresa Lazaro and government officials that include Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and several others.

In the many years that I have been attending the UNGA, I have not seen how important and consequential the gathering of world leaders, policy makers and experts than it is today in New York with serious discussions on global challenges, the likes of which the world has not seen since the turn of the century. Ukraine, the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific region and climate change are among the serious challenges the world faces today.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden spelled out the situation in his UN speech: “…we are at another inflection point in world history where the choices we make today will determine our future for decades to come.”

He spoke about aggression, extremism, chaos and cynicism – “the forces that pull our countries apart and the world apart” – even as he exhorted those present that “our task, our test is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than those that are pulling us apart, that the principles of partnership that we came here each year to uphold can withstand the challenges, that the center holds once again.”

The path ahead continues to look turbulent with the war in Ukraine now on its third year, the escalating conflict in the Middle East and of course the potential flashpoint in our neck of the woods in the South China Sea.

It would not be an overstatement to say that indeed, we are living in challenging times, with the Philippines right at the center of the proverbial storm because of the incessant provocation, harassment, aggression and the dangerous, reckless behavior displayed by China Coast Guard and militia vessels that have earned international condemnation.

President Marcos set the stage on the attention we are currently getting from so many world leaders. That is the reason why there have been so many requests for meetings with Secretary Manalo, who delivered the Philippine statement about addressing global challenges and our position that issues “should be resolved within the framework of peace and cooperation enshrined in the UN Charter.”

President Marcos decided to skip the UN General Assembly this year but hopefully he will be able to attend the next high-level UN meeting next year. The Philippines is gunning for election to the 2027 UN Security Council.

President Biden emphasized in his speech a need to “build a stronger, more effective and more inclusive United Nations. The UN needs to adapt to bring in new voices and new perspectives. That’s why we support reforming and expanding the membership of the UN Security Council.”

As I said during my interview with Regina Lay, Shawn Yao and Gretchen Ho for “The Big Story” on One News, we want to be able to talk to as many countries as possible during the side meetings regarding the issue of maritime security and safety, which of course includes the situation in the South China Sea. Many countries at the UN have expressed full support for the Philippines, with a number of them encouraging our efforts in trying to resolve the contentious issues diplomatically. But what is significant is that more and more countries are joining the call for China to respect the PCA arbitral award, the rule of law and, more importantly, the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

The issue of maritime security encompasses the entire Indo-Pacific region, and these waters are supposed to be free from any kind of harassment. No one country should be allowed to dominate the area, considering that trillions of dollars in trade pass through these waters every year. Obviously, freedom of navigation should not be the concern of the Philippines alone but the entire community of nations as well.

During the One News interview, I was asked about the QUAD meeting and what we stand to gain in terms of their support to our part of the region. While there was no specific mention of the Philippines, the fact that they mentioned the South China Sea clearly shows that the concern of the QUAD includes the Philippines, especially in light of the recent incidents in Sabina Shoal involving the China Coast Guard.

Of course, the upcoming US presidential election in November will also be very consequential for the Philippines, mainly due to its global impact and its implications on the geopolitical, security and economic landscape, more particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.

I’m confident, however, that we have bipartisan support from the US Congress. Fortunately, I served as Ambassador in Washington during the term of President Trump, giving me the opportunity to meet most of his key national security advisers. They have all indicated to me that their Indo-Pacific policies will likely remain the same.

Our bipartisan friends in the US Congress continue to express concern about the continuous Chinese aggression. They all expressed support and indicated they were ready to do what needs to be done to help us secure our territorial waters. I always tell them that modernizing our armed forces is our top priority, together with more economic cooperation and investments from our friends and allies so that ultimately, we can be a true mutual defense partner.

There may be dark clouds hanging above us today, but there is also a silver lining with many opportunities coming our way. We must simply seize the moment before the moment seizes us.

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