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| President Duterte |
By Christina Mendez
MANILA, Philippines – After cozying up to Russia which recently sent a warship to Manila on a goodwill visit, President Duterte is expected to seek expanded bilateral relations with other countries as part of his push for an independent foreign policy that is less dependent on the US, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said over the weekend.
“So, what we are saying is that in a sense, we are having a break from the mentality that our source of security comes only from one particular country. There is a widening of our borders of support,” Abella said in a radio interview, after the visit of Russian anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs.
“So, basically, this goes not just for Russia but for our neighbors. What the President is saying is that we are beginning to recognize particular country and we are beginning to recognize that our borders are not necessarily limited or confined to simply one country or one geopolitical force,” he said.
He was apparently referring to Duterte’s toning down the country’s military relations with long-time ally US.
Duterte toured the Russian warship on Friday. He referred to the officers and crew as “our Russian friends.”
“Anytime you want to dock here for anything, for play, for replenish supplies or maybe our ally to protect us,” Duterte was quoted by Reuters as saying. He then shook hands with Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov, head of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
Duterte has repeatedly made known his desire to veer away from the US to countries not militarily allied with the Philippines like China and Russia.
With Duterte’s upcoming visit to Moscow, Abella sees greater exchange of defense agreements as a follow-up to a previous memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in 2014 between Manila and Moscow. The MOU covers not just defense, but also cultural exchanges.
Read the full story at The Philippine Star