Asean leaders applaud P-Noy’s farewell

KUALA LUMPUR – President Aquino was applauded by fellow leaders of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) after he delivered an emotional speech to say goodbye to them.

It was Aquino’s last Asean summit. He ends his term on June 30, 2016.

Philippine Ambassador Eduardo Malaya narrated the farewell to reporters on Sunday night, right before the President faced members of the media after attending the Asean and related summits here over the weekend.

The President said he felt happy with the leaders’ reaction to his farewell message during the Asean-United Nations summit on Sunday and the support they had given him in general, “especially at this point in time, towards the last.”

Aquino, who arrived in Manila yesterday morning, admitted it was challenging for Asean to come up with a consensus because opposition from one member could already strike down a proposal.

“Everyone must be in agreement,” Aquino said.

The President said he did not know many of the leaders when he was just a newly installed president. It was only Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, who was a friend of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, that he had met before he became Chief Executive.

Varied political systems

The President noted the differences in Southeast Asian countries’ political systems and circumstances that he had to adjust to.

“The limitations vary, the capabilities are different, but there have been agreements and for me, that really gives a sense of achievement,” Aquino said.

He noted that though there had been disagreements on the South China Sea issue, unity was visible during disasters as Asean countries readily help and cooperate.

The President cited the case of Super Typhoon Yolanda, which battered the Philippines in November 2013. His fellow Asean leaders did not wait long before sending assistance.

“Did it take two days before Indonesia spoke about the assistance it would give us? Maybe it was only one and a half days before an airplane from Singapore arrived. It seemed everyone – the rich, the not-so-rich – contributed and sympathized without me, in truth, calling them to appeal for help,” Aquino said.

He said the first ones the country could depend on during tough times would be neighboring countries like the Asean.

‘Everyone listened’

When he bid the leaders farewell, Aquino said his honest observation was that everyone stopped to listen and that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak told him it was unexpected.

The President said they knew he was leaving because of the constitutional term limit and when it was announced that Laos would be holding an election and would host the Asean summit next year, he took the chance to formally say goodbye.

“I really felt very nice. Everyone was very attentive. After that, everything flashed back – from the time you met. Where was the relationship when you started? Where is the relationship now that you are about to end (your term)?” he said.

“I admit, you are going to a new phase in your life, like anything else. You are filled with memories of what has transpired. You are proud of the accomplishments,” Aquino said, noting that Najib emphasized the friendship that developed between them.

He said Thein Sein, the president of Myanmar, would also be stepping down in March.

“In a sense, I really got to know a lot of them. I really got to work with them on so many complex issues. It was really a learning experience,” Aquino said.

He said talking with the Asean leaders taught him to look at things from their perspective, as this was the key to foster understanding and avoiding problems that were not present in the first place.

The President said he also learned about the nuances and concerns in dealing with the same problems but with varying styles due to the different systems of government.

He recalled the case in Cambodia where the Asean failed to issue a joint communiqué for the first time because of disagreements over the South China Sea.

The President said a lot of leaders talked “perhaps not to the same degree as us, some a lesser degree, some a higher degree, but everybody was conscious that there really (was) an issue on land reclamation ( in the South China Sea) and we are pushing for a code of conduct at the soonest possible time.”

Asked if he was expecting his successor to continue his policies, especially on the South China Sea, the President said “the world is evolving and changing” and priorities would have to change with them.

He said there might be other challenges like pandemics or extremism but he expressed hope that the gains would no longer be reversed.

The President is also hoping that the Asean leaders’ perception of the Philippines would not change but rather, be strengthened, so that trust and confidence would be developed and consensus-building would be easier.

Asean gains

Meanwhile, Aquino outlined the significant achievements of the Asean forum in his arrival speech delivered at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, such as the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the establishment of the Asean Community and Asean Vision 2025.

He said these outline the path that the region is going to take in terms of security and economy.

Aquino added that cooperation among the member countries is expected to be more focused and immediate.