THE “shift to independent foreign policy” might be one of the “dramatic” changes in President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. has said, vowing the Philippines would no longer be a perceived bootlicker of any country.
In an interview, Yasay admitted seeking an independent diplomatic policy was among the dramatic changes and a challenge to him in the international arena, citing what he called “70 years of dependency” on the United States, which restored the country’s independence in 1946.
“In the past, our foreign policy was marked by subservience (to) and dependency on the U.S. that impeded our advancement and undermined our right of determination…in turn we were not treated with mutual respect and as a sovereign equal,” Yasay said.
He reiterated the independent foreign policy was written in the law and the government under President Duterte was bound to comply which, he said, the past Presidents failed to do.
“Our government, through the presidency, has no choice but to comply and fulfill the constitutional mandate of pursuing an independent foreign policy that will uphold our sovereignty, territorial integrity and right of self determination in achieving the paramount interest,” he said.
One of the accomplishments the Department of Foreign Affairs had was asserting the interest of the Philippines by weighing equally its diplomatic relationships with its neighboring countries, the United States, and other countries.
“I don’t think I should paddle my own canoe,” he said, refusing to discuss more of the DFA’s accomplishments.
“Today, we see a dramatic change in our relationship with the international community in maintaining and strengthening friendship with all nations,” he added.
Since Duterte assumed the office, several challenges have happened in the international arena.
Aside from his announcement to pursue an independent foreign policy, Duterte also decided to cut ties with the U.S. and form new alliances with China and Russia.
Manila and Beijing forged diplomatic links in 1975, a year before Manila established diplomatic ties with Moscow.
For six months, Duterte has been vocal against the U.S. and outgoing U.S President Barrack Obama.
The President has also been cursing left and right different countries, with the DFA either defending the President or clarifying Duterte’s series of rhetorics.
In June, Duterte told the United Nations to “shut up” as it “can’t even solve the Middle East carnage”.
In August, Duterte, in a speech, called U.S. ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg a “homosexual son of a bitch.”
Duterte claimed the outgoing American envoy “meddled” in the Philippines’ recent elections by “giving statements here and there,” earning for himself the title of a prostitute’s homosexual son “• a description similar to one Duterte previously extended to Pope Francis last year.
Shortly after his rhetoric, the United States said the $32-million assistance to promote human rights and security was now subject to “rigorous vetting,” calling on the Philippines to observe the rule of law and due process in its campaign against drugs.
Also in August, the two UN special Rapporteurs on Summary Executions Agnes Callamard and the Right on Health Danius Puras urged Duterte to put an end to the current wave of extrajudicial executions and killings of alleged drug users and pushers.
Duterte slammed the call of the two rapporteurs and theatened the Philippines would pull out from the UN, but later he said it was only a joke.
Before he left for his first official trip out of the country to attend the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Laos, he warned Obama not to raise the issue on extra judicial killings or he would curse him “son of bitch” in that gathering.
In September, Duterte also said the upcoming war games between the Philippines and the U.S. would be the last because China dis not want them.
But Yasay explained the war games would continue until 2017 but would be under review from that year until Duterte’s term ends in 2022.
In October, Duterte again ranted against the U.N and the European Union.
Duterte also launched new tirades against critics of his bloody anti-illegal drugs campaign, telling Obama, primarily, to “go to hell” and the EU “to choose purgatory” because hell was already full.
He also cursed the U.S. and decided to cut the rifle deal with a U.S. store, after an American senator made a statement that he would block the sale of rifles to the Philippine National Police.
In early December, the US government aid agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, deferred to renew the development assistance package for the Philippines “subject to a further review of concerns around rule of law and civil liberties.”
Yasay criticized the U.S., stressing the Philippines could survive without the assistance.
He said the uncertainty over the aid package emerged after Duterte declared he would chart a foreign policy independent of the U.S.
Yasay said in 2017, the Philippines, through the DFA, would seek stronger ties with other countries and continue advancing the country’s interest.
“We do not weaken our solid relationship with others. We will continue on with tact towards the future with the political will to carry out a pragmatic policy towards upholding the national interest,” he said.
Yasay said although the Philippines won its case against China in the international arbitral court, that issue would not be pushed now while bilateral negotiations would be on gear.
“While pursuing to the hilt a convergence of interest with all nation in advancing our mutual interest while adhering to the rule of law, the general principles of international law and a rules-based system in peacefully resolving our disputes,” he said.
Australian ambassador Amanda Gorely has welcomed the Philippines’ decision to form new alliances with Russia and China.
“It is just natural to be friendly with other nations like China and Russia,” Gorely said, adding these new allies would help increase trade and commerce industry of the Philippines.
Gorely cited the foreign policy of Australia, that it has been seeking multiple relationships with the United States, Russia, and China.
“Australia has an alliance with the United States, and we have also a very strong relationship with China and Russia. It’s good to have multiple relationships with all countries,” she stressed.
She added a “balanced-diplomatic-relationship combined with reciprocal trade relations will be of great help leading to close relations.”
“We aim to have constructive relationship (with) as many as possible countries and you can accommodate differences within that. You know every country doesn’t know why there is gray on everything but it doesn’t mean that you have to throw the baby out of the bath water,” she stressed.
British ambassador Asif Ahmad himself was urging Duterte to reconsider his plan to form new alliance with Russia, citing Moscow’s invovlement in the unrest in all war-torn countries, including Syria and Afghanistan.
“You cannot cherrypick the positive attributes of a country and ignore the rest,” Ahmad said.
He said Russia invaded Afghanistan which resulted in the creation of al-Qaeda, a terror group founded by Osama bin Laden, who was killed in May 2011.
“If you check the history books, you’ll see Afghanistan was invaded by Russia, and al-Qaeda was born out of that conflict, and the consequences of that have gone global, including here in the Philippines,” Ahmad explained.
Al-Qaeda, known to have funded the Abu Sayyaf Group in the mountains of Mindanao who were responsible for numerous terror attacks around the country and several kidnapping of foreigners, is notorious for beheading its captives if their ransom demand was not met.
He said Russian invasion in Afghanistan also affected not only the nearby countries but also the Philippines.
“So what was spawned by Russian intervention in Afghanistan, we’re paying the price for it today in Mindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Manila, when the ferry was blown up in the early part of the 2000s,” he said.
