‘We do not know if there is any pressure or influence from the US to prod the government, particularly the DND, to side with it on this issue of not buying Russian military equipment.’
SOME observers of contemporary history and social developments made a fuzz about the timing of the Marawi siege on May 23, 2017. It was “well timed” with the state visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Russia, and one of the goals of that visit was to purchase defense equipment. Duterte had to shorten his stay in Moscow and hurry back to Manila to face a Maute-led and ISIS-sponsored attack on Marawi City which lasted for five months.
The siege of Marawi City was precipitated by the Philippine military’s mission to serve an arrest warrant on terrorist Isnilon Hapilon, sort of an ordinary, non-emergency activity for the military. Those who think that the siege could be linked also to the Americans who would like Duterte to buy arms from them and not from President Putin, could not be faulted for thinking that way, especially so because several of the Islamists were using the powerful Barrett M82 which is the same rifle used by American troops.
In 2018, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross sent a letter to Duterte offering to sell US weapons and defense equipment, mentioning even the F-16 fighter jets and attack helicopters that Duterte preferred. There is yet no final decision as to what type of multi-role aircraft will be purchased. The defense department is reportedly considering buying the US Lockheed Martin F-16V Viper or the Swedish Saab JAS-39 Gripen.
The country’s purchase of 17 Russian-made Mil Mi-17 heavy-lift helicopters worth P12.7 billion took on an unexpected turn when President Putin decided to launch “special military operations” inside Ukraine. The West expectedly came to the aid of Ukraine and imposed wide-ranging economic sanctions against Russia, debilitating its economy, putting undue suffering on innocent Russians, etc. while making profits from huge arms sales to Ukraine.
Palace deputy spokesperson Michel Ablan told a press briefing that the Department of National Defense “will be reviewing the purchase of the Russian helicopters vis-í -vis what is happening now in Eastern Europe.” The Philippines was among the 141 countries that voted in favor of the United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
We do not know if there is any pressure or influence from the US to prod the government, particularly the DND, to side with it on this issue of not buying Russian military equipment. But it seems Ablan’s comment on a review is not needed. Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, House strategic intelligence committee chairperson, has given the assurance that the chopper deal will push through.
“We expect the procurement to proceed as planned, considering that it was contracted prior to the Russian invasion, besides the fact that the Philippine government already made the initial up-front payment for the project,” Pimentel said in a statement. He added that the government “demonstrated its commitment to the purchase when the first payment was made. If no down payment had been made, it would have been easier to revisit the project.”
The DND signed the procurement contract for the Russian medium twin-turbine transport helicopters last November and made the first payment this January, before the Russia-Ukraine war began in February.
The Philippine economy and Filipinos have been suffering enough as a consequence of the high prices of petroleum products stoked by the Ukraine crisis. We should not lose our meager down payment made in this transaction just to please one side of this geopolitical crisis.
