Slowly but surely, President Duterte is turning out to be the charismatic leader that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) badly needs.
Described as a mere talk shop for its failure to act decisively on issues that concern the region, the 10-member strong ASEAN has time and again been crippled by its consensus-based decision making that critics say prevent it from gaining any global clout in the face of pressures from superpowers like China and the United States.
Observers believe the regional bloc lacks the leaders of the stature of its founding fathers to drive it forward. There is no one they say that can match the charisma of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew or Malaysia’s Mahathir bin Mohamad.
Even Indonesia which is traditionally the most influential in the bloc no longer wields the kind of clout its long-standing foreign minister Ali Alatas did in the 80s and 90s.
A boat incident that no one wanted could have been the defining moment for President Duterte to come out of his own shadow and help steer the ASEAN to where it should go in the community of nations.
After feeling his way early in the regional meetings where he was described as a rock star among leaders in the region, Duterte is turning out to be the go-to guy when it comes to whipping up a consensus.
The 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok showed why.
Widely regarded as one who is too friendly for comfort with China, Duterte showed in the Bangkok meet that he could ably fill the shoes of both Lee and Mahathir when it comes to rallying regional leaders into action.
The fiery Philippine leader did not hide his displeasure over the stalled implementation of the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea which should have been in force pending the approval of a permanent and binding Code of Conduct.
He rued the absence of a guideline to govern the acts of claimants on the disputed maritime areas. The President similarly expressed concern and disappointment over the prolonged delay in the negotiations for the CoC, pointing out that the longer the delay for an early conclusion of the CoC, the higher the probability of maritime incidents happening and the greater chance for” miscalculations that may spiral out of control.”
In a region confronted by growing tension among the powers on its borders, and challenges like climate change, so says BBC News, it is no longer enough for ASEAN to be the mere talking shop it has been content to be for so long.
And Duterte knows that there will come a time when the regional bloc will have to act fast and decisive.
Duterte’s exhortation during the summit may have egged his fellow leaders into acting with dispatch.
In what could be considered as an unprecedented effort to break free from the clutches of the superpowers as reported by this paper, ASEAN leaders, after a year of discussions, have approved a document outlining the CENTRALITY of the Indo-Pacific region.
This is crucial to the regional grouping in the face of efforts by both China and the United States to exert influence on the bloc.
The document, reports say, is encompassing since it seeks to provide an independent character to the ASEAN in terms of its role in the global economy and overall security of the regional bloc.
An elated Duterte gave a thumbs up to the document saying it will reaffirm ASEAN’s strategic role and the vision of a closely integrated Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.
This should keep the balance of power in the region and prevent a feared confrontation among claimants in the South China Sea that many fear would be the new global flashpoint.
Duterte, true to what he has been saying, is afraid of war, afraid of the consequences it would bring to his people. But he certainly is not afraid to find ways to prevent one.
Tribune.net.ph
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