Ambassador Dato Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino of Malaysia is the epitome of a regular diplomat, exuding optimism and positivism on the country which hosts him and where he is presently stationed.
Castelino told a media forum last week that his country is confident the Philippines could provide the “visionary leadership” to bring the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to the next stage of regional development.
The good envoy hinged his optimism on the fact that Malaysia used to be chairman of the Asean this year, and that the Philippines is inheriting that position in 2026 under the regional grouping's rotating chairmanship.
It behooves on Castelino therefore to say good things about the Philippines, and express hope on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s ability to steer Asean into favorable waters.
Castelino also said he and other officials in Asean are hoping “for the peaceful resolution of some key issues” affecting the region such as the overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro of our Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier assured that during its Asean chairmanship, the Philippines intends to finish the formulation of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
Aside from Castelino, another diplomat in the person of Asean Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn is hopeful that the Code of Conduct will conclude by July, 2026.
It is well to note that the 10-nation Asean (which has now become 11 because of the recent entry of Timor Leste as member) has been drafting the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea since 2017, but with little progress.
Kao emphasized that the Code of Conduct being drafted should have a "binding" effect on all parties. The operative word here is "binding." A Code of Conduct, or any code, will be open to abuse and disregard if not binding.
“I think that we need to finalize, make sure that the COC is binding. One issue is whether it will be binding or non-binding. I’m sure this is something that will be in ongoing discussions,” Kao added.
We appreciate the concerns made by Malaysian officials on the South China Sea, as we express sadness and frustration that the PH President is too busy to even weigh in on the SCS and other Asean related issues---the reason being he had to parry accusations from all directions about his perceived orchestration of the biggest corruption scandal in the nation's history.
As of this writing, the flood control scandal in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has snowballed to include projects and programs in the DepEd, DOH, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and other government offices.
The names being mentioned in these anomalies are also high up in the government's totem pole.
The Marcos administration has to keep its mind and hands busy in resolving these issues involving trust in governance, something that has been diminishing from day to day as the nation awaits real retribution against the hooligans.
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