‘ Focus on terrorism and illegal drugs’

> Duterte opens Asean summit

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday urged leaders attending a Southeast Asian summit in Manila to focus on strengthening the fight against terrorism, illegal drugs and other crimes that threaten the regions’ stability.

Duterte opened the 31st Asean leaders’ summit by thanking international partners who helped the Philippines combat Islamic State-allied militants who seized a southern city for five months.

The Philippine government last month declared victory over the militants, but the siege of Marawi City, 800km south of Manila, left more than 1,100 people dead, over half a million residents displaced and the municipality in ruins.

“I apologise for setting the tone of my statement in such a manner,” he said.

“But I only want to emphasise that our meetings for the next two days present an excellent opportunity for us to engage on meaningful discussions on matters of regional and international importance.”

He cited terrorism and violent extremism, piracy and armed robbery as well as the illegal drugs trade as the main challenges threatening the region’s economic prosperity, security and safety.

Duterte skirted the issue of the disputed South China Sea, which has often divided the 10member regional group, and tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme, which US President Donald Trump is expected to raise.

“Terrorism and violent extremism endanger the peace, stability and security of our region because these threats know no boundaries,” he said.

“Piracy and armed robbery in the seas put a dent in our growth and disrupt the stability of both regional and global commerce.”

“The menace of the illegal drugs trade continues to endanger the very fabric of our societies,” he added.

In a draft statement to be issued at the end of the summit, Asean leaders were expected to express grave concern over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

“Noting that these developments seriously threaten peace and stability in the entire region and beyond, we strongly urge (North Korea) to fully and immediately comply with its obligations arising from all the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” according to the draft.

Duterte also met US President Donald Trump yesterday on the sidelines of the summit.

“The conversation focused on IS, illegal drugs and trade,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

“Human rights briefly came up in the context of the Philippines’ fight against illegal drugs,” she said. – dpa

In this combination photo, Trump is surprised as he realises other leaders, including Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Duterte, are crossing their arms for the traditional ‘Asean handshake’ as he takes part in the opening ceremony of the Asean Summit in Manila yesterday.

Filipino student dancers are sprayed with cold water before performing during the arrival of leaders attending the summit.