蜜桃工作室

The Philippine government is considering buying new weaponries聽from China and Russia, President Rodrigo Duterte has said.

鈥淚 would like to ask Defense Secretary Lorenzana to, samahan kayo 鈥� the technical people. Pumunta kayo ng Russia at pumunta kayo ng China at tingnan ninyo kung ano ang pinakamabuti,鈥澛燚uterte said in a speech before airmen at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Tuesday.

(I would like to ask Defense Secretary Lorenzana to come along with the technical people. Go to Russia and China and see what the best is.)

The President said the two countries have pledged to give the government a soft loan for the purchase.

鈥淭wo countries have agreed to give me the softest loan. It will be payable in 2025,鈥� he said. The Chief Executive said the government would buy its defense assets 鈥渨here there are no strings attached.鈥�

The Philippines is currently in a maritime dispute with China over our claims on the West Philippine Sea, while the government has no defense treaty with Russia.

鈥淲e can buy the arms where they are cheap and where there are no strings attached and it is transparent. I told them, I would not deal with you except on a government-to-government basis,鈥� he said.

Duterte said he prefers to purchase weaponries over war assets because the Philippines has no intention to fight any country.

鈥淪abi ko sa kanila na I want weaponries and armaments; hindi ko kailangan 鈥榶ang mga jets, 鈥榶ang mga聽F-16 (I told them I want weaponries and armaments, I don鈥檛 need jets, the F-16s), that鈥檚 of no use to us. We don鈥檛 intend to fight any country using that. Let鈥檚 content ourselves with even the propeller-driven planes but which we can use extensively聽sa anti-insurgency,鈥� he said.

READ: PH leader rejects joint patrols, eyes China weapons

Duterte had earlier ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to 鈥渇inish鈥� the extremist group Abu Sayyaf as the government pours additional troops to strife-torn Mindanao.

In line with this, he vowed to continue the modernization of the

鈥淵ou will start your modernization further with me.聽Ibigay ko sa lahat sa inyo 鈥榶ung kailangan ninyo para talunin 鈥榶ung kalaban (I will give you what you need to defeat the enemy),鈥� he said. JE