Contrary to a March 4 statement of president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. urging Russia “to respect Ukraine’s freedom,” incoming National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos said the Philippines should remain “neutral” in the ongoing war.
Marcos Jr., however, sang a different tune on the issue on March 1, based on at least two media reports quoting him as saying: “I don’t think there is a need to take a stand. We are not involved, except for our nationals.”
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Carlos made the statement in a briefing aired on the government station PTV4 days before the courtesy call of Russian ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov on Marcos Jr. and outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte.
She added that Russia “might be able to supply [the Philippines] with our much-needed oil and gas” and the country “should take advantage of that.”
In a press briefing after his meeting with Marcos Jr., Pavlov mentioned that the incoming president said a “few words regarding the situation” in Ukraine.
“As far as I know, the president-elect would like to continue his independent policy and to cooperate with [the] Russian federation,” he added.
BACKSTORY
On Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine, setting off economic and political sanctions by G-7 countries – United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Canada, Germany, Italy – and the European Union.
Speaking about increasing global oil prices in a May 23 Talk to the People broadcast, Duterte said the war should be solved first “before we can talk of even returning to normalcy.” He also denounced the killings in Ukraine, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin should “control his troops.”
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Sources
Bongbong Marcos, Statement on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, March 4, 2022
People’s Television Network, PANOORIN: Public Briefing #LagingHandaPH, June 10, 2022
Inquirer.net, Bongbong Marcos to keep ‘independent policy’ on Russia-Ukraine conflict, June 13, 2022
ABS-CBN News Channel, Envoy: Russia ready to extend help to PH on oil, energy needs, June 13, 2022
Rappler.com, Russian Ambassador Marat Pavlov holds media briefing after a courtesy call on Marcos, June 13, 2022
Inquirer.net, Marcos on Ukraine-Russia conflict: ‘No need to make a stand’, March 1, 2022
Rappler.com, Marcos flips, now stands for Ukraine; reversal messes anti-Leni messaging, March 4, 2022
Russian ambassador’s courtesy visits
- GMA News Online, Russia willing to ‘extend help’ to Philippines with energy sources, says envoy, June 13, 2022
- Malaya Business Insight, Russian ambassador pays courtesy call on Duterte, June 15, 2022
- Philstar.com, Russia says ‘ready to cooperate’ with Philippines on oil, energy supply, June 13, 2022
Sanctions on Russia over Ukraine invasion
- Consilium, EU restrictive measures against Russia over Ukraine (since 2014)
- The White House, FACT SHEET: United States, G7 and EU Impose Severe and Immediate Costs on Russia, April 6, 2022
- The United Kingdom, UK sanctions relating to Russia, April 29, 2022
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Sanction Measures following the launch of military actions by Russia in Ukraine (Statement by Foreign Minister HAYASHI Yoshimasa), Feb. 25, 2022
- France Diplomacy, Statement on Russia’s war against Ukraine, May 14, 2022
- Government of Canada, Canadian Sanctions Related to Russia, Accessed June 10, 2022
- Germany Federal Foreign Office, United response to Putin’s war in Ukraine: What sanctions are in force?, March 6, 2022
- Italian Government, Prime Minister Draghi’s address at the VTC meeting with President Zelensky in Parliament, March 22, 2022
- European Union External Action, EU and G7 adopt new sanctions against Russia, March 11, 2022
RTVMalacañang, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Talk to the People, May 23, 2022
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
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