President Marcos —MALACAÑANG PHOTO
President Marcos returned to Manila from Indonesia on Thursday after his trip to Labuan Bajo for the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit, his 13th foreign trip since June last year. The PR001, carrying the President and the Philippine delegation landed at the Villamor Air Base at 5:58 p.m. In his arrival speech, Mr. Marcos said he told Asean leaders about Manila’s concern on regional and international developments, which include the maritime dispute in the South China Sea. According to him, he raised the issue of maritime disputes in the region and “reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and advocated for a rules-based maritime order anchored on 1982 Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).” He said other matters raised during the summit were the Russia-Ukraine war, the turmoil in Myanmar, the East Asean Growth Area and the membership of Timor-Leste, which was an observer in the summit. Asean leaders are set to meet again in Indonesia in September this year for the 43rd Asean and Related Summits. —NESTOR CORRALES