Manila, March 27 -- The 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders' Summit and Related Summits in Cebu on May 8 to 9 will push through, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Silang, Cavite, Marcos said the decision to proceed followed consultations with fellow Southeast Asian leaders.

"We have consulted with our counterparts in the 10 other member-states. And the question that I asked them is very simple: Would you prefer - because everybody is busy with the oil crisis going on, because of the war in the Middle East - would you like to postpone the ASEAN Summit?'" Marcos said.

"The consensus that we came to is that it is precisely now that we must coordinate our efforts. So, that is wh...