(Eagle News) — The Philippines and the entire Association of Southeast Asian Nations are “nuclear-free” zones.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque reiterated this on Thursday, Aug. 23, after a US Defense Department’s annual report said China may add a “nuclear element” to the dispute in the South China Sea.
According to Roque, the ASEAN also had a treaty that specified that the entire region was a “nuclear-free” area.
“The important point to underscore is we have a nuclear-free policy and that should be applied to all countries, including the Americans, because the Americans have been using nuclear-powered [weapons] and have been stationing warships with nuclear capability as well,” Roque said.
Even then, he said the claims in the report were a “US observation” that are “even in the nature of speculation.”
“It is a possibility according to American sources so we leave it at that,” Roque said.