By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter
THE PHILIPPINES’ campaign for a nonpermanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) could boost its role in regional security and its global standing amid tensions with China, political analysts said, as Manila prepares to lobby support during this week’s UN General Assembly in New York.
Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said winning a seat would enhance Manila’s diplomatic profile and help align international institutions with Philippine interests.
“The Philippines being part of the UNSC, even in a nonpermanent capacity, helps raise our profile as a regional security hub and further aligns global institutions with us against China,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) last week said the Philippines would intensify its campaign during the UN gathering. Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa P. Lazaro will lead the delegation after Malacañang announced President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. would skip the assembly to focus on domestic issues, including the widening corruption scandal involving flood control projects.
The Philippines has been pushing its candidacy for a 2027–2028 seat, which would give it a two-year term in the council. The election is scheduled for mid-2026, when five of the 10 nonpermanent seats will be contested.
Mr. Juliano noted, however, that Manila’s bid could face obstacles depending on the geopolitical interests of permanent council members. “It is ultimately a question of whether other members of the Security Council block us or mobilize against us as a favor to China, Russia, or any anti-US or anti-multilateral effort,” he said.
Relations between Manila and Beijing have remained tense, with frequent confrontations in the South China Sea where China has built up its presence despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that voided its sweeping claims.
Beijing has refused to comply with the decision, which Manila continues to cite as the legal basis of its position.
Raphael J. Cortez, a diplomacy instructor at De La Salle–College of St. Benilde, said a nonpermanent UNSC seat could give the Philippines a global platform to highlight maritime security concerns.
“Such platform may also be an avenue where the Philippines can openly discuss with great powers the need for international safeguards and assistance concerning countries being affected by territorial disputes,” he said via Messenger chat. “The West Philippine Sea dispute may be the best reference point for such.”
He added that the UNSC’s authority to authorize collective measures, including peacekeeping and preventive action, could give Manila stronger backing from the international community against China’s assertive actions.
Francis M. Esteban, associate dean at the Far Eastern University’s Department of International Studies, said the bid underscores Manila’s intent to strengthen multilateralism and the rules-based international order.
“We ardently believe that international credibility can be achieved by active participation in global governance through the UNSC,” he said. “I am hopeful that our bid will be successful primarily because of the efforts of our top-class diplomats and our growing reputation as an advocate of international law.”
The UNSC is the UN’s most powerful body, with the authority to adopt binding resolutions on peace and security. The five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and US — hold veto power.
Ten nonpermanent members are elected for two-year terms and enjoy voting rights but not veto privileges.
