Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attends the plenary session of the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta on September 5.//AFP
Jakarta, Indonesia – The Philippines is ready to chair ASEAN in 2026 instead of Myanmar, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Tuesday, as the bloc wrestles with how to engage with the country’s junta rulers.
Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a 2021 military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent.
“It is my pleasure to announce that the Philippines is ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026,” Marcos told Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
“We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter,” he said, according to a statement from the presidential palace.
Marcos did not say…
