Stability in SCS essential to regional peace – Año

By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency

Año said the Philippines recognizes its responsibility to foster peace and stability that benefits the region. (File Photo: TOTO LOZANO/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA – Stability in the South China Sea (SCS) is essential for maintaining peace in the region that requires sustained commitment to a rules-based order, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said Wednesday.

Año said the Philippines recognizes its responsibility to foster peace and stability that benefits the region.

This requires a “sustained commitment to a rule-based order, one where international law, not power dynamics, dictates the rights and responsibilities of the states,” he said in his speech during the opening of the two-day Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea at the Hyatt Manila Hotel in Taguig City,

“We face a choice, either uphold a world governed by rule of law or risk a return to a war governed by power alone. But for us peace-loving nations, the South China Sea should not be an arena of conflict but it must be a sea that springs cooperation and prosperity without sacrificing our sovereignty, sovereign rights, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction.”

He said addressing and managing the challenges in the South China Sea does not only concern and benefit the Philippines but also the other coastal states surrounding the strategic waterway, especially ASEAN neighbors.

Año said the challenges in the South China Sea are unlikely to diminish soon, making it more urgent for “like-minded nations” to reaffirm their commitment to forging common understanding.

He urged the participants to use the Manila Dialogue as a platform for engaging in frank discussion, generating actionable solutions, and promoting the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“It is a vital arena for reinforcing our collective stance, recommitting to a common understanding, and reaffirming the principles enshrined in the UNCLOS for all states,” he said.

The Philippines’ interests and rights in the South China Sea represent a core component of the country’s national identity and sovereignty, he added.

“I say then that preserving territorial integrity is foundational for us as it is for the rest of the other states. Therefore, our commitment to upholding these rights and ensuring that our sovereignty must remain intact and inviolable,” Año said.