MANILA — The complicated issue on the South China Sea and how countries can effectively battle transnational crimes topped the list of priority subjects in this year’s Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) held in the Philippines.

Briefing journalists at the sidelines of the 31st APPF opening day Thursday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez reported the attendance of 275 foreign delegates coming from 19 APPF member-countries, and 27 draft resolutions laid out before them.

These cover issues in combatting transnational crimes (5), strengthening the capacity of parliaments to promote peace and stability (10), gender and sustainable development goals (4); women and leadership (5); education and culture (4), universal health care (2) and critical infrastructures (3).

These agreements will be thoroughly discussed during the three-day forum, with the decision to end through a “consensus” and release of a unified resolution, Zubiri said.

“Para pag may konting gusot sa ating mga bansa ay kami na mismong mga parliamentarians ng iba’t-ibang bansa... ay kaya na po naming ayusin, pag-usapan. Hanapan ng solusyon itong mga problema na ito,” Zubiri said.

A delegation’s decision to touch on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is part of one’s right to do so, Romualdez said.

“Dinadaan na lang natin sa persuasion... katulad sa Kongreso di ba, maraming bills di ba? Kung saan kino-consolidate natin kung saan merong common ground, kung saan tayo nagkakaintindihan, dun talaga tayo magkakaisa,” Romualdez said.

“While there’s difference of opinion, there’s also a saying na, we should learn how to disagree but not to be disagreeable with one another, but working through consensus,” he added.

Zubiri meantime believes that proper wording in the resolution is the key to better understanding and agreement among the parliamentarians.

“If we use diplomatic wordings, yung hindi nakakasakit ano, nakakainsulto, hindi nakakagalit. Sa tingin ko magkakaroon tayo ng consensus dyan,” Zubiri said.

Both the Philippines and Indonesia filed a resolution that centered on the need to promote regional peace and stability.

In its draft resolution, the Philippines laid out how it is “deeply alarmed” by the seeming “widening geopolitical polarities and sharpening strategic competition that threaten international peace and security.”

The Philippines’ sponsored resolution also stated the determination to adhere to the “rule of law and sovereign equality of states.”

“Concerned at the destructive effects of the escalating tensions, armed conflicts, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, cyber threats, transnational crimes, emerging technologies, climate change, emerging diseases, and public health emergencies to human survival and economic sustainability of affected countries,” part of the Philippine delegation’s sponsored resolution stated.

Similar to this is the submitted proposal of Indonesia regarding the issue of security, peace, and stability in the region.

“Call upon APPF Member Parliaments to fully respect of the 1982 UNCLOS, ensuring the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in maintaining and promoting an environment conducive to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC),” the Indonesian delegation’s draft stated.

Aside from the Philippines and Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Australia also filed a similar resolution, Zubiri said.

Among the attendees in this year’s APPF include the 15-man delegation from China.

“Hindi naman po nailagay dyan ang specific problems katulad ng sa West Philippine Sea, or Arbitral Ruling. Kasi gusto po natin na katanggap-tanggap po ang resolusyon sa lahat ng ating mga kasamahan... Kailangan po may consensus ang lahat ng mga parliament about a particular issue,” the Senate leader said.

Zubiri said the West Philippine Sea issue will still be discussed by Philippine legislators since he and Romualdez will be holding a “one-on-one meeting” with the Chinese delegation before the conclusion of APPF on Saturday.

Zubiri likewise assured the Chinese delegation that they will be treated well as they attend the APPF.

FIGHT VS TRANSNATIONAL CRIMES

Meantime, APPF delegates will also work on an agreement that zeroes in on fighting transnational crimes, the two Congress leaders said.

The aim is to come up with a stronger tooth in battling these problems, they said.

Five countries have lodged their draft resolutions concerning the transnational crimes concerns of the world and these are Malaysia, Canada, Russian Federation, Japan, and the Philippines.

“Definitely, parts of the topic that will be taken up there will be on how to curb the export and import of drugs, among neighboring countries in the Asia Pacific. Drugs, sexual trafficking, the trafficking of women and children, as well as other international crimes,” Zubiri explained.

Romualdez meantime expressed confidence that resolutions that will be adopted during the three-day forum will be “binding” and strong.

“That’s the spirit of getting together, and its effect, the contents, the tenor of the resolutions will in effect be steer the way, in a sense. Thereby, being enforceable. And again, in our case, reaffirming our positions in the interest of the countries involved especially, because there’s so much similarity,” Romualdez said.

“Everyone wants to make sure that we can put a stop to these transnational crimes which has become a vain to our national security and respective interests of our country,” he added.