De La Salle University student named ‘Best Speaker’ in ASEAN Youth Debate 2019 held in Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand – Hans Xavier Wong, a Filipino student from the De La Salle University (DLSU), was named Best Speaker during his session in the 6^th Annual ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Youth Debate held in Bangkok on September 18-20, 2019.

Present to witness the Filipino’s achievement was Temporary Representative to the AICHR Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso who acted as an Adjudicator on a motion concerning government supervision of the internet during these debates.

Acting as Deputy Prime Minister for the government side proposing that ASEAN enact an enforceable carbon tax, Mr. Wong demolished every argument of the Opposition and presented a very convincing case for the government.

A sophomore student of DLSU taking up Behavioral Science, Mr. Wong also summarized the case of the government, convincingly outlining why their proposal should be adopted.

He stunned the whole assembly with his very first sentence, as his demeanor was confident but not arrogant. He also commanded the attention of the audience with his incisive logic and well-researched presentation.

As President of the La Salle Debate Society, Mr. Wong has participated in numerous tournaments and has bagged awards from various Philippine competitions. One of his notable accomplishments include being named the 3^rd Best Speaker and the Finals Best Speaker in the Philippine Debate Open 2019.

Two other LaSallian youth also performed well in their respective notions: Joshua Dita acting as Deputy Leader of the Opposition for the motion that quotas be established for cultural parks, and Andrea Brioso for the motion that 16-year-olds be tried as adults, acting as Government Whip.

The annual Youth Debate aims to raise awareness of the human rights issues and challenges that AICHR faces while promoting a sense of camaraderie among the young people of ASEAN.

Last year, two students from the University of the Philippines, Colleen Ann Chua and Neal Amandus Gellaco, were also selected Best Speaker in their respective motions.

The 7^th Annual AICHR Youth Debate will be held next year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

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