Philippine Statement

delivered by 

FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRETARY TEODORO L. LOCSIN, JR. 

during the  

23rd ASEAN Political-security Community Council Meeting

02 August 2021

Agenda Item 3: Recent Developments of Sectoral Bodies under APSC

Agenda Item 4:Implementation and Review of the APSC Blueprint  

Excellencies,

We welcome progress in implementing the APSC Blueprint, including the update that only 10 action lines of the Blueprint remain to be acted on.

The new set of realities we face, including those arising from the pandemic, must necessarily be considered as we move forward on the APSC Blueprint.   We therefore look forward to the inclusion of issues regarding to the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, pandemic response and recovery, cybersecurity and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the ASEAN Secretariat’s monitoring of the Blueprint’s implementation. 

Criminality has not slowed down or been deterred by COVID.  On the contrary, they’re making thriving businesses out of it.  We must keep pace with the criminals. 

First, in strengthening cooperation against transnational crime.  As economies reopen, we are seeing unabated movement of drugs and contraband.  Parallel to these are cyberattacks, online fraud, fake news and disinformation, facilitated by increased activities online.  Censorship of course is a cure infinitely worse than the disease; so we will oppose that on every front.  If our governments cannot win the battle for our peoples’ hearts and minds, well then too bad. 

Second, in the fight against trafficking in persons.  As lead for this, we convened a workshop to review the three-year implementation of the Bohol Trafficking in Persons Work Plan to see our way forward. 

Third, in the continuing war on terrorism.  With the pandemic further marginalizing certain sectors, and shifting social exchanges to the digital world, online radicalization has increased.  But again we must fight them on their terms; word for word hope against despair but it would be the basest conduct to suppress free speech  in the war on terrorism.   

As the outgoing Country Coordinator, the pandemic prevented face-to-face negotiations in the COC, but it has allowed us to be creative.  We now have a Preamble provisionally agreed on.  Soon we turn over the work to Myanmar.  

We will unfailingly call out unilateral actions disturbing the peace in the South China Sea.  But the goal is clear: we remain committed to the conclusion of an effective and substantive COC.  Thank you.