THE VIEW FROM RIZAL

We recently came across news reports regarding Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos, Jr.’s recent speech at the 33rd session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in Vienna, Austria.

The Secretary’s presence before the international body was in line with our country’s ongoing campaign to win one of the 10 so-called non-permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council.

There, he reiterated the Philippines’s commitment to “a peaceful, just and equitable international order.” He said this order “is key to the flourishing of each of our nation’s aspirations for our peoples.” He added that our government believes that “a united global front is essential to effectively combat transnational crimes, corruption, and terrorism in all forms.”

In his speech, Secretary Abalos’ gave substance to his assertion that the DILG and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have marked major gains in the war against crimes, particularly those related to illegal drugs He noted that the country’s strategy in the fight against illegal drugs has had a lot of success “with minimal loss of lives.” He attributed this to the government’s “holistic crime prevention approaches” which taps the power of community engagement and emphasize the value of wellness.

The Secretary’s encouraging speech follows an earlier report he made before the National Peace and Order Council and the Regional Peace and Order Council meeting. There, he outlined the gains of the present administration in our fight against crimes. He pointed to the significantly lower crime index volume in the past 21 months. The non-index crime volume has likewise decreased while the so-called total crime clearance efficiency has increased during the same period.

The DILG and our PNP deserve our congratulations for these accomplishments. We are proud that our country can showcase these gains on the international stage, and use them as a campaign platform for a seat in an important national body.

That body is the United Nations Security Council.

The Council can perhaps be said to be the most powerful international organization. Its mission is to ensure international peace and security. It recommends to the UN General Assembly the admission of any new member country. It also approves recommendations for changes or amendment to the charter of the UN.

The Council has the sole power to establish so-called peacekeeping operations which involve the deployment of troops from various member countries. It can also authorize military action and impose international sanctions against a country. Among the various bodies within the UN, only this Council has the authority to issue resolutions that member countries are bound to abide by.

The Council can be likened to a “supreme international government.”

It has a total of 15 member countries. Of the 15, five are permanent members and 10 are non-permanent.

The five permanent members are the United States, France, Great Britain, China, and Russia.

We asked our friends in the diplomatic corps why these five countries have permanent membership in the powerful council. According to them, these five countries represent the world’s most powerful military forces and are the only countries officially recognized as having nuclear weapons (although there are other countries that are believed to have such weapons). Their military might is so significant that it would be good to keep them in a venue where the state of the world’s security and survival can be continuously discussed most peacefully.

The other 10 members of the Council are “non-permanent.” This means their membership is “temporary.” They are elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year term and are required to have at least two-thirds of all votes cast for the seat assigned to a certain region.

The Philippines is vying for the three seats allocated to the Asia-Pacific region which are currently held by Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. The Philippines had been voted into the Council in the past – 1957, 1963, 1980-1981, and 2004-2005. We are campaigning for the term that will begin in 2027 and which will end in 2028.

We were told by our friends in the diplomatic corps that our prospective reentry into the Council would be a crucial one. A seat would enable the Philippines to share its diplomatic tradition and our unshakeable commitment to world peace. We stand to make a major contribution to the primary mission of the Council – to maintain international peace and security “in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations.”

Several of President Marcos’ cabinet members are at the forefront of our campaign to win a seat at the Council. Among them are Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Secretary Abalos who have been representing us at various international forums to air our aspirations.

We wish them well as they embark on an important mission for the country and for a world that is in search of a more stable peace.

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