By Priam F. Nepomuceno
MANILA – Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday formally handed over the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus chairship to his Singaporean counterpart, Chan Chun Sing, during short ceremonies in Cebu.
“We are honored and humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in us to steer our collective efforts to preserve peace and stability in Southeast Asia and in the broader Indo-Pacific region. On behalf of the DND, maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat (thank you very much),” Teodoro said.
As the Philippines’ chairship of the 20th ADMM and 13th ADMM Plus comes to a close, Teodoro said he would like to express his sincerest appreciation to all who contributed to the success of the engagements.
“When we accepted the chairship from Malaysia last year, we committed to not only sustaining the progress we have made in our areas of practical cooperation but also tried to incorporate the changing elements of the security environment of the times,” Teodoro said.
“And in doing so, we tried to share the vision of our ASEAN member states to do our part faster, quicker, and more inclusive to promote adherence to our shared principles and to give a vision to the future generations of a security architecture which they must manage.”
He also expressed confidence in the outcomes of this year’s ADMM and ADMM Plus, which lay the groundwork for “principled and purposive action” in the coming years.
“In light of current events in our region, we also thank our fellow ASEAN member states for supporting the process that was agreed upon by our leaders and the ASEAN Observer Team to monitor the ceasefire agreement between our kin in Cambodia and in Thailand,” he said.
Looking ahead, Teodoro said the Philippines is committed to closely coordinating with Singapore to ensure a smooth turnover “as part of our broader efforts to pursue peaceful and durable resolutions to current situations.”
“Ultimately, in our ever-changing world, what must remain constant is unity, centrality, and solidarity of ASEAN. In that spirit, I am hopeful that the discussions we had during our formal engagements and in the sidelines will strengthen our resolve to navigate our future together,” he added.
Singapore looking to work with everyone
For his part, Chan said he hopes to “work closely with everyone in this hall and beyond” and take the ASEAN and the ASEAN Plus framework forward.
“A framework that is forward-looking, that maintains our relevance to the challenges of the times, not just the current challenges, but also the emerging challenges. A framework that is agile and adaptable, that will allow us to try new things,” he added.
Chan also reiterated that their job is not to look for yesterday’s answer to yesterday’s questions.
“Our challenge is always to rise to the occasion and look for tomorrow’s answer, for tomorrow’s challenges, hopefully ahead of time. And hopefully, we will together build a community that is much more resilient to the challenges that are confronting us. From climate change, to cyber challenges, to conventional warfare, to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and you name it, we have our work set out for us,” he stressed.
No undermining
As this developed, Teodoro denied Chinese claims that the Philippines has undermined China’s rights as a member of the dialogue, prompting the latter to send only a defense attaché to attend the proceedings.
“In so far as ASEAN is concerned, I do not believe our ASEAN member countries feel that way. If not, they would have let me know. So, it is China’s position. It is not ASEAN’s position. Anyway, they were given an opportunity to articulate their position, which is not any different from what they have been articulating before,” he added
Teodoro also added that no country has the right to characterize ASEAN processes except ASEAN member countries.
“They are dialogue partners. So as much as we would want to accommodate them, it is subject to rules and limitations. The important fact is they were able to articulate their position on regional maritime securities with a little additions. Nonetheless, we allowed the exchange of views to be robust and I think that was the important thing: the opportunity to be heard. How they are going to be heard is for ASEAN proper to determine and not anybody else,” the Filipino defense chief said. (PNA)
