Duterte leaves for Thailand to attend Asean Summit
Credit to Author: Catherine S. Valente, TMT| Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 12:22:04 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday flew to Thailand to attend the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit this week, Malacañang said.
Duterte left Davao City at 6:14 p.m. and was expected to arrive in Bangkok late Friday night.
In a statement, the Palace said the President would join other leaders from Asean and Dialogue Partners “to advance Asean’s community-building agenda aimed at ensuring greater peace, security, and prosperity in the Asia Pacific.”
“In line with the theme ‘Advancing Partnerships for Sustainability,’ the President and his regional counterparts will explore ways to further promote inclusive and sustainable development and address the challenges posed by climate change, marine pollution, and other environmental issues,” the Palace said.
“They will exchange views on pressing issues such as trade tensions, geopolitical shifts, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” it added.
Panelo, who also serves as Duterte’s top legal counsel, said developments in the South China Sea and other security concerns, particularly terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, and other transnational crimes would also be addressed.
“Asean will have one-on-one summits with China, India, the United States, Japan, and the United Nations to examine the current status and future direction of dialogue partnerships,” the Palace said.
“At the Asean Plus Three Summit with Japan, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, the President and his fellow Asean Leaders will discuss with Dialogue Partners key strategic issues affecting the region’s security and growth prospects,” it added.
The Palace said the 35th Asean Summit was expected to conclude more than 40 outcome documents, which “will serve as blueprints for the region’s collective pursuit of a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable Asean Community.”
This is the President’s fourth visit to the Kingdom of Thailand.
The first visit was in November 2016 when the President paid his respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej; the second was in March 2017 for an Official Visit; and the third was in June this year for the 34th Asean Summit.
Duterte has designated Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as officer-in-charge of the national government during the Thailand trip, his fourth since taking office in 2016.
However, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo assured the public that Duterte remained on top of the situation monitoring the developments in the Philippines, especially the earthquake-hit areas of Mindanao.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar branded as “fake news” the supposed article in which Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn was ordering Duterte to “behave” during the Asean Summit.
Andanar, who is currently in Thailand, vehemently denied that the King gave such a directive to the President after the alleged scanned copy of the news that appeared on the Bangkok Post, with a headline “King orders PH Duterte behave during Asean summit,” circulated on social media.
“Meron pong mga malisyoso na gumawa ng fake news na nakalagay dito ay pinagsabihan daw ng hari si Presidente Duterte na mag behave (Some malicious people are spreading fake news by claiming that the King allegedly told President Duterte to behave),” Andanar said.
“Pero kitang kita naman dito na iba ang nakasulat. See, iba po ang nakasulat dito. Ang pinagusapan dito ay five generation na cellphone. So obvious na obvious talaga na fake news ang pinalabas (But what’s written here is different from the viral photo. See, the issue here is about the 5G cellphone. So it’s really obvious that the claim is fake news),” he added.
Andanar said people should stop propagating fake news, especially when it involves Thailand’s king as he noted that it might affect the relations between Manila and Bangkok.
“Kaya sana huwag tayo gumawa ng mga ganung klaseng fake news. Nakakasira po yan ng bilateral relations ng dalawang bansa (Let us not spread such fake news. It can affect the bilateral relations between the two countries),” he said.
Andanar also warned that anyone who attempts to taint the King’s reputation can land in jail for 15 years, citing Thailand’s Lèse-majesté law.
Article 112 of Thailand’s Lèse-majesté law or criminal code states that a person who “defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent” will be punished with a jail term up to 15 years.
“Alam niyo, kapag gumawa kayo ng fake news na ganyan, na ginagamit ninyo ang pangalan ng hari dito sa Bangkok, Thailand, sa Thailand mismo ay pwede kayong makulong ng 15 taon dahil sa kanilang lese-majeste law (When you spread fake news like that, using the name of the King in Bangkok, Thailand, you will be sent to jail for 15 years because of their Lèse-majesté law),” he said.
“Kapag binastos mo ang isang revered na hari ay diretso kayo sa loob ng kulungan (When you defame the revered King, you will land straight to jail),” Andanar added.