President Benigno Aquino III will be heading to Jakarta, Indonesia Friday to attend the 18th Asean Summit, Radyo Inquirer reports.
MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III will be heading to Jakarta,
Indonesia Friday to attend the 18th Asean Summit, a report on Radyo Inquirer said.
Aquino will have in his entourage 54 officials for the weekend gathering, the report said.
It said Aquino was expected to raise the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea, which seeks peace and cooperation among countries claiming the Spratly group of islands.
The Philippines is among six countries with claims, wholly or partly, on the Spratlys, a reputedly oil-rich chain of tiny islands and reefs in the South China Sea.
The other claimants are Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Other issues Aquino is expected to raise are on human rights, disaster management, protection of overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), poverty prevention, biodiversity and security.
Quoting Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., the report said that the government paid P4.2 million for the trip.
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras will join Aquino in the summit.
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Danica Hermogenes, INQUIRER.net