JUANIT0 P. JARASA
WHILE on an official visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK) early this month, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano issued a statement urging the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) – the official name of North Korea – to call off its plan to conduct more ballistic missile test launches following the missile that flew over Japan before crashing into the Pacific Ocean. He added that the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) would continue to play a constructive role in creating peace and stability not only in the Korean Peninsula but also in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.