PHL to pursue independent foreign policy if it gets tougher on Russia

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Friday said the Philippines will continue to implement its independent foreign policy approach should it get tougher when dealing with Russia.

Interviewed on Russian news channel RT International, Andanar was asked if there is any pressure for the country to be tighter in its relations with the superpower.

"There’s no pressure at all. You know, we live in very interesting times. We have a new world order and every time there is change there will always be resistance but the Philippines will continue to walk down the path of the independent foreign policy," Andanar said.

"We continue to respect our traditional Western allies. We have the mutual defense treaty with the United States of America and the same way that we respected the same way that we will foster our relationship with China and Russia," he added.

Asked if the Philippines is also considering buying Russian hardware, fighter jets for defensive purposes for instance, Andanar affirmed that the country has been in talks with non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states, including Israel for drones and South Korea for naval ships.

Andanar added that President Rodrigo Duterte was "impressed" after inspecting Russian helicopters.

Aside from the military aid, Andanar said the country also has trade relations with Russia with regard to oil, seaweeds and other goods and services.

The PCOO secretary also lauded Russia for its assistance during the Marawi siege and the country's war on drugs.

"You can also say that during the time when we had this crisis in Marawi, the Russian government has been very helpful in solving the problem of ISIS in our country. We are also talking about solving drug problems and other transnational crimes," he said.

Andanar revealed Duterte admired Putin, his "favorite hero," for his "no-nonsense" approach with regards to governance.

Duterte arrived in Sochi in Russia on Thursday morning (PHL time) for the bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In Sochi, Duterte and Putin witnessed the exchange of several bilateral agreements that cover political cooperation, health, science and technology and culture. —Jamil Santos/KG, GMA News