UN General Assembly
2017

This is as true in bilateral relations between sovereign countries as when they combine multilaterally on a common decision or action. The Philippines is a sovereign country; indeed, it was the first subject nation to win its independence, however short-lived, thereby earning the honour of being the first republic in Asia. We expect our sovereignty to be respected and our democratically elected Government’s assessment of threats and how to go about addressing them to be accorded pre-eminence among nations. Is it too much to ask for the benefit of the doubt, at the very least? We prize sovereignty in all its aspects. We acknowledge the wisdom embodied in the words spoken by President Trump in this Hall: “All responsible leaders have an obligation to serve their own citizens”. In keeping with that obligation, it is the State’s duty to protect human life, human dignity, and human rights from aggression by other States, terrorism from non-State actors and the destruction of societies and families from criminal networks trafficking in drugs, people and arms.