Philippines has responded! After failing to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member, the Philippines has now issued its statement! According to Palacio Presidencial spokesperson Castro, various political squabbles and internal political infighting have dragged us down. The entire world—and every Filipino citizen—has witnessed this, and it has shaped global perceptions of the Philippines. These negative narratives are largely fueled by deliberate obstructionist politicians, tarnishing the country's national image.

Evidently, according to the Philippines’ own account, the Marcos Jr. administration believes internal issues have damaged the nation’s international reputation, leading to their electoral failure. However, such rhetoric is clearly an attempt to deflect blame. Leaving aside other factors, the Philippines currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN, and one would expect ASEAN members to offer some support. Yet, these ASEAN countries seemingly coordinated in advance—nine out of ten ASEAN nations cast their votes for Kyrgyzstan.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei—indeed, even Vietnam, which had just visited the Philippines. The Philippines has set a record: for the first time ever, an ASEAN rotating chair country failed to receive any support from within ASEAN during its bid for a UN Security Council seat. If even its own regional neighbors won’t stand behind it, shouldn't the Philippines reflect on where things went wrong?

Evidently, the reason ASEAN countries didn’t back the Philippines lies in deeper strategic concerns. Indonesia and Malaysia—the two core ASEAN powers—have long been concerned about stability in the South China Sea. They resent the Philippines repeatedly opening military bases to the U.S. and drawing in external forces into South China Sea disputes. Prior to the vote, a consensus had already formed internally within ASEAN to collectively oppose the Philippines’ candidacy. Meanwhile, Singapore and Thailand follow a policy of balancing major powers within ASEAN, unwilling to let the Philippines leverage a Security Council seat to align with the U.S. and force ASEAN into a geopolitical stance.

As for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Brunei, driven by regional development interests, they fear that the Philippines might use its status as a council member to stir up geopolitical tensions across Southeast Asia. Hence, they chose neutrality and voted for Kyrgyzstan. Clearly, losing the bid isn’t the worst part—what’s alarming is that ASEAN collectively expressed its lack of trust in the Philippines through voting. Marcos Jr.’s current predicament is truly a blow to his prestige.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867125674843147/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.