President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday warned of a Chinese “invasion” of the country should Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to use nuclear weapons in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Duterte made the remarks during a Malacañang ceremony where he signed several measures into law, including the amendment to the Public Services Act.
“Kung talagang maipit si Putin at pindutin iyong pulang button, wala na. Then my thinking is… pag mag ganun ‘yan… China will invade… sa intelligence briefing, tatamaan talaga tayo,” the President said.
[If Putin is pressed to a corner and he presses the red button (for a nuclear launch), that’s it. Then my thinking is… if it comes to that… China will invade… in an intelligence briefing, we would really be hit.]
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday reiterated friendship with Vladimir Putin but said there’s one thing that makes him different from the Russian leader.
“I am friends with…don’t air this on TV. Edit it. I am friends with Putin but he went overboard. I kill criminals, but Putin bombs women, children, everyone,” he said.
“That was my reason why [Americans] are unrestricted [here]. Pipilitin ng mga Amerikano eh. Talagang brusko ang mga Amerikano [The Americans will force that. They are really brusque],” Duterte added.
The President then said that a nuclear attack can be initially invisible.
“Hindi lang natin makita iyong nuclear, iyong long range bombers… baka napindot na kanina [ang button] rito sa South China Sea. It will reach our jurisdiction in seven minutes. Iyong hypersonic ano nila…so kasali tayo diyan. Let us not kid each other,” Duterte said
[We would not see their nuclear (launch), their long-range bombers… they may have pressed it (a button) earlier here in the South China Sea. It will reach our jurisdiction in seven minutes. Their hypersonic whatnot (Russian missiles)… so we’re part of that (scenario). Let’s not kid each other.]
“That’s why America is here, that is the reason I gave the order to the military to allow them unrestricted [movement] to end it… but I hope that China will not [resort to invasion],” Duterte added.
Back when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in May 2017, Duterte said the Russian leader assured him he would talk to China over Beijing’s militarization and aggression in the South China Sea, a portion of which is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Duterte said Putin’s effort did not prosper.
“It was only the three of us: [Senator] Bong Go, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and me. Putin really said, ‘We will try to help you, we will talk to China.’ But China never listened to the advice of anybody. We will really be affected, for sure. But I will not send my soldiers upon the request of anybody to join the cause against Russia,” he added.