Montemayor urges public to pray instead of taking sides on Russia-Ukraine conflict

Presidential candidate Dr. Jose Montemayor Jr. on Tuesday said people should pray for world peace and people affected amid the tension between Russia and Ukraine, instead of getting involved in the matter.

Montemayor said the Philippines has enough problems on its own and should steer clear of the conflict between the two countries, which he claimed, do not care about the Philippines.

“Not being insensitive, but alam ninyo marami na tayong problema. We have a lot of problems here in our domestic affairs, pagkatapos makikisawsaw pa tayo? Social media siguro yes, because we won’t be physically hurt by that,” he said during an ANC interview.

(Not to be insensitive, but you know we have a lot of problems. We have a lot of problems here in our domestic affairs, yet still we want to get involved? Maybe on social media because we won’t be physically hurt by that.)

“They don’t even know us. Wala silang pakialam [they don’t care] when we are suffering here in the Philippines,” he added.

Montemayor then stressed that both Ukraine and Russia are far from the Philippines, thus the country should not take any side.

“Imbes na kumampi tayo kung saan saan [instead of taking sides], why don’t we pray? Pray for world peace, pray for the people there,” he said.

The Philippines on Monday said it will vote yes to a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's "unprovoked armed aggression" in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Duterte said he is set to meet his Cabinet secretaries, officials of law enforcement agencies, and business executives on Tuesday to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Despite his stance on the issue, Montemayor said that he is generally for peace and does not want people to be at war with each other.

This is however in contrast with his previous statement that he will address the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue which hounds the relationship between the Philippines and China, through military efforts with the help of other countries.

Asked back then how he plans on claiming the WPS, Montemayor said, “Military, there’s no other way, kasi hindi nakikinig ang China (because China is not listening).”

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine last Thursday with explosions heard across the country.

On Sunday, Ukraine said it would hold talks with Russia at its border with Belarus—near the Chernobyl exclusion zone—after a phone call between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.—AOL, GMA News