PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said he wanted to forge stronger ties with Russia and China as he accused the West of disregarding Philippine interests a day before he leaves for Moscow for a five-day state visit.
Speaking to Russian media at his hometown Davao City, Duterte said he will not leave the country’s national security dependent on Washington.
“I have nothing against America, [US President Donald] Trump is my friend. But my foreign policy has shifted. I want to deal with China and Russia. Because in Western world, it’s doubletalk,” Duterte told Russian state broadcaster RT.
“You treat me as if I’m your colony still. You must be kidding! We’re an independent country. I want my country to be treated with dignity,” he added.
Duterte will leave Monday from Davao City for a “landmark” visit to Russia in line with a decision to pursue an “independent foreign policy,” the Foreign Affairs Department said.
During his visit to the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, Duterte is expected to sign agreements on defense cooperation, military and technical cooperation, a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, a treaty on extradition, and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of security between the two countries’ national security councils.
The President is seeking to reverse the country’s arms dependence on the United States, which supplies about three-fourths of the country’s defense requirements.
Duterte also said he did not want to be dragged into a war with China over the South China Sea.
“They [the Americans] want me to fight China. With what? Do I have cruise missiles? It’s gonna be a massacre! And then what? We’ll sit at the bargaining table and be like – I want this, and they say I want that. Do I look stupid?” he said.
On the sidelines of the 28th and 29th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos last September, Duterte met with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
In his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru in November, Duterte slammed what he called the “hypocrisy” of the US and other Western countries and their supposed bullying of smaller nations.
Duterte then claimed that he and Putin have become “fast friends.”
Duterte is also scheduled to deliver a policy speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, where he is expected to discuss his independent foreign policy and thoughts on achieving peace and security in the region.
Duterte will also talk about his economic policies and encourage businesses to invest in the Philippines during the Philippine-Russia Business Forum in St. Petersburg, about 650 kilometers away from the Russian capital of Moscow.
The Philippines and Russia celebrated 40 years of diplomatic relations last year but officials said the engagement between the two countries remain at a “nascent” stage.
While he has nothing personal against Washington, Duterte stressed that he needs to protect the country’s foreign policy from American interests.
“If my country collapses, who will bring it back? The US? We need weapons,” he said.
“Russia sells weapons, no conditions. With the US it’s a different story. They make conditions. But I’m not gonna stand on bended knees,” he added.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Philippines and Russia will sign two cooperation agreements on trade and investment promotion and on industry development.
The Philippines has a standing trade program with the Russian government under the generalized system of preferences (GSP) that up to now is still underutilized, Lopez said.
With the improving ties between the two countries, that could change, he said.
At the start of 2017, a group of Russian investors conducted a trade and investment mission to the Philippines, the first after long years, in search of business opportunities in the Philippines.
The Russian Federation coordinated the delegation sent by the Ministry of Transport with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc.
The delegates discussed the capacity of Russian companies to take on infrastructure projects like transport systems and power plants.
The team mentioned previous and existing projects in ASEAN countries like Vietnam and Indonesia, and expressed interest in breaking into the Philippine market. With Othel V. Campos