OPINION | The consensus button

March 3, 2025 , 05:24 PM

By Manny Mogato

(March 3, 2025) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained deeply divided on the territorial dispute in the South China Sea as China increased its influence in the region, gaining more allies, including some of the claimant states in one of the major global flashpoints.

Beijing has been winning key support from ASEAN countries through its soft power, an effective carrot approach.

At the same time, its navy and coast Guard vessels employed the stick approach against ASEAN states that dared defy China’s illegal and excessive claim on almost the entire South China Sea.

Thus, efforts failed to resolve the conflicting claims on the strategic waterway where $3 trillion worth of trade passed annually.

A formal and legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea continued to languish for decades due to China’s dilly-dallying and ASEAN member-states’ disagreements over the draft text of the document.

The delays in the conclusion of negotiations in the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea are just symptoms of the deeply rooted distrust among countries in the region.

ASEAN, for a long time, would like to build a close-knit organization, like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

However, ASEAN’s diversity in politics and economics has prevented the bloc from gaining consensus on the territorial dispute.

Who would forget an incident during an ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Cambodia in 2012 when the host country put off the microphone when the late Albert del Rosario, then the Philippine foreign affairs secretary, delivered his intervention, attacking China on its coercive activities in the disputed waters?

When the Philippines hosted the ASEAN Summit in 2017, it was the first time the country watered down a statement on the South China Sea, clearly to please China as then-president Rodrigo Duterte was courting favor from Beijing.

Now, only the Philippines and Vietnam were opposing China. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore were tilting in favor of Manila and Hanoi.

Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar supported China while investments, trade, and economic aid swayed Brunei and Thailand to the Chinese side.

The deepening polarization within ASEAN has made it difficult for the Philippines to win backing from the Southeast Asian region, forcing Manila to seek alliances and partnerships with powers outside the Southeast Asian region like Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States and even far away European powers France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The Philippines hopes the collective pressure from these powers could soften China and agree to an early conclusion of measures to help resolve disputes in the South China Sea.

It may also help convince ASEAN states to close ranks and come up with a united stand against China.

Defense secretary Gibo Teodoro Jr. had an impossible task to unite the 10 ASEAN states to resist China’s bullying in the South China Sea.

At a recent ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) retreat in Malaysia, Teodoro’s message may have fallen on deaf ears as many states ignored his warnings that some states are trying to reshape global relations and landscape.

“Peace is now under threat—not due to our incapacity to preserve it, but

because of the absence of unanimity on key issues,” Teodoro said in his intervention at the ADMM retreat.

“Silence in the face of violations diminishes ASEAN,” he said as he called on his Southeast Asian counterparts to resist external attempts to sow division within the bloc.

Teodoro could rephrase his warnings and highlight more positive messages, appealing to a more somber approach along the ASEAN way of consensus.

Some ASEAN states may disagree with his assessment that a northern neighbor threatened the region. Some would agree though.

But a better message was to hit the consensus button.

First, some low-hanging fruits could be picked to start the ASEAN cooperation in the South China Sea rolling.

For instance, ASEAN’s reactions to his warning that some states have region-wide cooperation on maritime security, focusing on environment protection, scientific research, search and rescue operations, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

Teodoro has to realize that the Western way of engaging another state in the Asia-Pacific region may not work.

It should not be a direct approach, which the United States and other European states have been doing.

In this part of the world, ASEAN observed many Oriental traditions, putting a premium on the faces of the players.

Teodoro has to learn how ASEAN has been doing its consensus work. It takes a lot of patience.

Teodoro may have to convince China and other Asian states to work together for regional peace and stability, setting aside the territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The views expressed by the columnist do not necessarily reflect that of the media organization.

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.