RP PRESIDENT FINALLY ARRIVES IN BALI

Nusa Dua, Bali, Nov 17 (ANTARA) - Philippine Secretary for Communications Affairs Ricky Carandang said Philippine President Benigno Aquino III had arrived and was now attending the retreat session of the 19th Summit of ASEAN here. "The president has arrived and is now attending the retreat session," Carandang told ANTARA moments before leaving the press conference room here on Thursday. The Philippine president did not show up in the opening of the 19th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday morning. He said that the president did not attend the opening in the morning because he still had "a domestic agenda" he had to do before leaving for Nusa Dua, Bali. In the photo session of the ASEAN heads of state/government Thursday morning, the position of the Philippine president was filled in by his secretary Ramon A. Carandang. Ricky Carandang said that the ASEAN leaders in the panel discussion session touched on a number of issues of mutual concern, such as the South China Sea issue, global economic crisis, migrant worker protection and ASEAN connectivity. He said that ASEAN leaders were now discussing the Philippine proposal on the settlement of the South China Sea dispute and there was already progress on it. Peaceful solution of the problem based on the international law of the sea was the basic position of the Philippines regarding the South China sea conflict, he said.