DFA chief: Phl performance in Asean summit a success

JAKARTA – Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said yesterday the country’s engagement in the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit held in Vientiane, Laos was a success.

“We were very successful as we were able to express and articulate the concerns that we wanted to raise, particularly our efforts in the fight against illegal and illicit drugs,” Yasay said upon arrival here late Thursday night. President Duterte proceeded to Jakarta for a two-day working visit after the ASEAN summit. The President accepted the chairmanship of the ASEAN for 2017 and the country is expected to host over 40 ASEAN-related meetings. “We were clear in the steps we have taken consistent with the Constitution, the rule of law, upholding human rights and the recognition of due process, in so far as the suppression, prosecution and rehabilitation of those concerned,” Yasay said. He cited in particular the country’s efforts to push for a drug-free ASEAN in the years to come. “It’s a very holistic approach that we explained to them as the foundation of our efforts to fight illegal drugs,” he said. Yasay said the process in the ASEAN was “there was really no discussion the way we know it as one speaks and one interpolates, and the discussions there are done through interventions or we just make statements.” “And on the statement, it was received, it would be part of the records or part of the resulting documentations of the ASEAN summit,” he further said. Yasay said that as soon as the protocol on ASEAN documents would be done with, the controversial presentation of President Duterte would be made public. “The procedure here is the press is allowed during the initial five minutes for photo opportunities but when it comes to the making of the statements, these are all confidential. I am not at liberty to discuss with you what transpired in the room. But rest assured that once the part of the record would be public document, it can be made public,” he added. Yasay also denied reports of Obama and Duterte being in a “tense” situation during the latter’s presentation in the East Asia meeting. “I do not know what is the basis of the ‘shocked statement.’ I have no basis to affirm that or to confirm that because as far as I am concerned, the situation was never tense. As I said, the statements that he made were part of the record and for now I am not at liberty to mention them because I will be breaching the protocol in the summit,” he said. But the foreign affairs chief said that Duterte’s statements and comments were received well by many. He confirmed that Obama was present in the East Asia meeting Thursday morning. “I will affirm to you that President Obama was there and he just sat there and listened to President Duterte. Obama did not react. He did not say anything,” he said. – Edith Regalado