Defense ministers in Cebu to discuss sea row, others

CEBU, Philippines - Defense ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and partner countries have arrived Thursday night in Cebu for the pre-ASEAN Summit meetings.

The Cebu Provincial government and the city government of Mandaue hosted a welcome dinner for all the visiting defense ministers and their staff at the Capitol.

Aside from the ASEAN member countries, senior defense officials from partner countries like the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, and China were also present at the fiesta-themed dinner.

The guests were welcomed by about a hundred Sinulog Festival dancers, as the Capitol building glittered with colored LED lights. A local guitar quartet also entertained the delegates as they are treated to Filipino dishes, including the famous Cebu’s lechon.

Halal food was also offered for Muslim delegates.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide promised the guests of a comfortable stay in the province for the meetings and even for the special tours that are organized for them.

In his welcome speech, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana highlighted the importance of the meeting between ASEAN defense officials and partner countries to resolve conflicts such as that of the South China Sea.

Lorenzana said that conferences like the "ASEAN Senior Defense Officials Meeting" will prevent armed conflict among countries.

He said it is important to talk than to resort to war.

"A question from one of the media here was ‘why is there a need for you to meet the Asean defense ministers and senior ministers?’ And that got me thinking.  I replied we now have a very global community.  Financial transactions are happening every day without respect for borders. Technology has advanced. Communication is very fast. There is a massive movement of goods and people from one country to another," said Lorenzana in his speech in front of his counterparts in the ASEAN.

He cited as an example the world wars. If the countries before had been talking to each other, these wars may have been prevented.

"And we have to talk. We have to develop relationships because that is the only way we develop as a region. This (ASEAN) region also has very real clash points that could happen anytime and the only way we could prevent miscalculations among countries that have claims on the South China Sea and any other disputes (is to talk). If we do not talk, we could miscalculate and this will lead towards war," Loreanza added.

Aside from defense officials, tourism officials were also in the welcome dinner as well as Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Kobaev.

"We are glad to be here in Cebu who has a long standing history of hosting Asean meetings and has been declared an Asean city of Culture," said Kobaev, who added that he was previously assigned here before his retirement from the military.

The ministers' spouses will also be treated to a Cebu City tour while their husbands are on a meeting at a resort in Lapu-Lapu City. (FREEMAN)