No reported Maute presence in Manila ahead Asean meet - metro police chief

Philippine security forces are monitoring a group of former Maoist assassins who joined Islamist militants as a possible threat to this week's 50th-anniversary meeting of South-east Asian foreign ministers, Manila's police chief said yesterday.

During the same press briefing, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said the foreign ministers and senior officials from 27 countries will gather in Manila for the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings at the Philippine International Convention Center. The foreign ministers will formally adopt the document at their regular meeting this month.

Bolivar, however, could not give an assurance that the Philippines will insist on having Manila's arbitration victory against Beijing's maritime claims used as one of the bases in the crafting of the code.

South-east Asia's foreign ministers are set to endorse on Sunday the framework of a code of conduct (COC) meant to prevent conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea from erupting into violent confrontations.

The endorsement of the framework will pave the way for talks on the crafting of the actual code of conduct.

After the ministers endorse the framework, this will be elevated to the leaders, who will hold their summit in November. In 2002, China and Asean settled for a non-binding declaration calling on claimants to exercise self-restraint in activities that would escalate disputes in the South China Sea. "For this particular year, in fact since late last year, we have a commitment from Asean and China to complete this framework and this is already a major step toward realising the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea", he said.

Bolivar said the code of conduct should reflect the common interests of all parties involved.

Details of the framework will not be made public, according to the DFA.

"There is no specific mention ... but the general headings, it's an outline, the nature of the code of conduct, what principles govern the behaviours of [nations]".

"Anything that is to our interest, definitely we will push", Bolivar told reporters in a chance interview in Malacañang.

The South China Sea is a vital sea lane where oil and natural gas have been discovered in several areas.

Efforts to finalise the pact have dragged on for years.