President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is set to bring the issue of Myanmar to the table during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit next week, an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
DFA Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said this days ahead of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and related summits in Cambodia next week.
In a press briefing, Espiritu said that Marcos wanted to talk about the issue regarding military-riled Myanmar with his fellow Southeast Asian leaders.
"Definitely, the President will carry that issue in all of the meetings of ASEAN," he said.
"But as for the exact proposals, I think it's better not to preempt that one because that will be fluid and that will be made in conjunction with the other heads of state of ASEAN," he added.
ASEAN has been urging Myanmar to implement a peace plan agreed upon last year to address the violence that gripped the country since the military staged a coup on February 2021.
Last month, President Marcos said that ASEAN has been unable to bring Myanmar to the table to discuss and resolve the country's issues. He even proposed to engage with representatives of their military government.
According to Espiritu, different foreign ministers met in Jakarta, Indonesia, last month and put forth a list of recommendations to push forward the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, which covers an immediate end to violence in Myanmar, constructive dialogue among all concerned parties, the appointment of a special ASEAN envoy to facilitate discussion, humanitarian assistance, and a visit by the envoy to Myanmar.
"It will still be processed by some leaders of ASEAN on the way to the Summit," he said.
"Whatever will be processed there will be cleared by the foreign ministers before it could be elevated to the summit leaders during the summit," he added.