Critics warn foreign policy direction risky to PH

Critics warn foreign policy direction risky to PH

MANILA, Philippines — Some critics on Monday cited the country’s foreign policy under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the reason for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attention to the United States’ military deployment in the Philippines.

Putin, in a televised address on Friday, called for the resumption of his country’s missile production and raised the possible deployment of these weapons after noting that the United States had brought missiles to Denmark and the Philippines.

“Today, it is known that the United States not only produces these missile systems, but has already brought them to Europe for exercises, to Denmark. Quite recently, it was announced that they are in the Philippines,” said the Russian leader. His remarks were also reported by the Voice of America (VOA), the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States.

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Former lawmaker Carlos Isagani Zarate of the party list Bayan Muna said the government’s “US satellite-like foreign policy” under Mr. Marcos “has contributed to bringing the world to the brink of a renewed nuclear arms race.”

“We demand that the Marcos … administration abide by the constitutional edicts of pursuing an independent foreign policy and making the Philippines free of nuclear arms and foreign troops,” he said in a statement.

Bayan Muna warned that Marcos’ current foreign policy direction could make the Philippines a potential target for nuclear attacks from countries that are not necessarily enemies of the Filipino people.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said the country should never allow the deployment of missile systems by foreign military forces.

“The launch buttons for these foreign-owned and -controlled missile systems are not within our control, hence these foreigners decide when they want to turn the Philippines into a battlefield. It will be the Philippines which will be the battleground, not their own country/countries,” Pimentel, the Senate minority leader, said in a Viber message.

He said the fate of the Filipino people “should not be left to the hands of foreigners who may even be pursuing a capitalist-business, money-making agenda at the expense of the Filipino nation.”

‘Our own capacity’

Senate President Francis Escudero said the missiles Putin was referring to could probably be just part of the Philippines’ military exercises and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) with the United States.

“I don’t know about that, maybe it was just based on their own intel… Maybe these were just part of Edca or military exercises being held, and these would be taken or removed someday,” he told reporters.

“Russia should not have anything to do with our country having its own military capability, including a missile system. That is ours and other countries should not meddle,” he added.

“It’s a different matter when other countries deploy war equipment here. But if he (Putin) was referring to our own, other countries should not interfere because it is our right to have our own equipment to defend our country,” Escudero said further.

“If we would ask help from other nations, instead of them just being there ‘to the rescue,’ it would be better if they would help us build our own capacity and capability, not to engage in a war, but to be able to provide a deterrence against any attempt or threat that may be brewing in the region,” the Senate leader said.