(Eagle News) — Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte vowed to pursue an independent foreign policy in dealing with other countries, as he stressed that he is doing this to protect the interests of the Filipino people.
Arriving from his first state visit in Indonesia, the President said that time-honored principles of sovereignty, non-interference and the commitment to a peaceful settlement of disputes will be observed by his administration.
“In our relations to the world, the Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy, I repeat the Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy,” he said in a speech upon arrival at the Davao City airport late Friday night.
“ We will observe and must insist on the time-honored principles of sovereignty, sovereign equality, non-interference and the commitment to a peaceful settlement of disputes that must serve our people and protect the interests of our country,” he said in his arrival speech in Davao City.
The President also enumerated the success of his first official trip abroad to attend the ASEAN Summit in Laos, where he said, he was able to advance the national interest of the Philippines and to engage the other ASEAN leaders and its dialogue partners on issues that have an impact on the region.
With regards to the South China Sea, Duterte said he was able to put across his serious concern on the peaceful settlement of dispute in the region to the other ASEAN leaders and to its dialogue partners.
He said a “rules-based approach” in the settling of maritime disputes is the way for the region.
-Important leadership role for Phl as ASEAN chair-
The Philippines as the chair of the ASEAN Summit next year is an “important leadership role” for the country, Duterte said.
It is also “a vital opportunity to contribute to the building of a strong and resilient community,” the President explained.
The theme for next year’s ASEAN Summit is “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World” which sounded much like the President’s byword that “change is coming.”
He said he accepted the chairmanship of the ASEAN from Laos, “with great humility.”
The President has been criticized for his harsh words against the United States before he flew from Laos.
He also skipped the ASEAN-US Summit as well as the ASEAN-UN Summit, reportedly because he was not feeling well, according to the Presidential Communications Group.
He had made it known that he would not be like previous Philippine presidents who followed any dictates from the US.
In Indonesia, in a speech before the members of the Philippine community there, he said he was serving the interests of the Filipinos alone as President of the Philippines.
Upon arrival in Davao City, he again said, “Filipinos should be first before everybody else.”
