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MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte announced early Wednesday that he had asked the Senate to ratify the nuclear ban treaty adopted by the United Nations.
In his first speech to the General Assembly of the world body, Duterte said that “no aspiration or ambition” can justify the use of nuclear weapons.
“There is no excuse for the deaths that a nuclear war could cause or the reckless use of chemical and biological weapons that can cause mass destruction,” Duterte said.
“These weapons of death put us all at risk of death, especially if they fall into the hands of terrorists without a hint of humanity in their souls,” he added.
The president then called on all UN member states to also fully implement the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions.
“I have asked the Senate of the Philippines to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It’s important to note that we were among the first to sign it, ”Duterte said.
In 2017, 122 UN member states, including the Philippines, adopted such a treaty.
Currently, there are 45 countries that have allegedly ratified the treaty, five fewer than the 50 needed for the pact to enter into force.
LEE: Duterte asks nations to reject war, eliminate nuclear weapons
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