De Lima says Duterte's statement on Russia-Ukraine war is 'irresponsible'

Senator Leila de Lima on Saturday called out President Rodrigo Duterte for his supposedly "premature and irresponsible" statement regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.

De Lima was referring to Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez's announcement on Thursday that Duterte expressed willingness to open the country's facilities to the US military if the Russian-Ukraine crisis spills over to the Asian region. 

“He says if they're asking for the support of the Philippines he was very clear that if push comes to shove the Philippines will be ready to be part of the effort especially if this Ukrainian crisis spills over to the Asian region,” Romualdez told journalists at an online media forum.

De Lima said such matter "is not being discussed by the leaders of Europe and the US for the simple reason that it engenders an escalation in the language of the conflict, something that Europe and the US do not intend to achieve given the already dangerous state of mind of Putin and his capacity to involve the whole world in a conflagration. This is why the US did not respond to Putin’s order placing Russia’s nuclear forces on alert."

“Of course the US is not expected to respond to Duterte’s invitation, premature and irresponsible as it is in light of the critical nature of the US’s relations with Russia as of present,” the senator said in a dispatch sent out from her detention cell in Camp Crame.

“The Philippine government should not be issuing statements that are counter-intuitive to conflict resolution and which almost amount to sabre-rattling. The call of NATO and the US is for peace and the withdrawal of Russian forces," she added.

“For the Philippines to be talking about its role in the event of the expansion of the conflict, while NATO is even steadfast in its own outright refusal to put NATO boots on Ukrainian soil, only reflects Duterte’s 'utak pulbura' world-view,” de Lima said.

“Southeast Asia as of now is still very remote from the conflict, other than feeling the war’s economic repercussions,” she added.

“To talk about Philippine involvement means that the conflict has already expanded to other parts of NATO Europe and the US, for the Philippines to be taking into consideration its defense arrangements with the US. This also means that the conflict has approached a global scale, heading towards a third world war,” de Lima said.

GMA News Online has contacted the Palace for comment.

The Philippine government on Monday ordered the mandatory evacuation of all Filipinos in Ukraine amid the worsening conflict between the Eastern European state and Russia.

It also ordered a total deployment ban for Filipinos who plan to work in Ukraine, including direct hires. —With a report from Giselle Ombay/KG, GMA News