President Duterte shrugged off reports that the US Department of State has decided to cancel the planned sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippine National Police over concerns on human rights violations in the Philippines.
“Hindi na tayo bentahan nila? Susmaryosep! ‘Yan lang?” Duterte told reporters during his visit to his parents’ tomb in Davao City on All Saints’ Day.
He cited Russia’s offer to the Philippines. “Remember what the Russian diplomat said, ‘Come to Russia, we all have here anything you need’,” said Duterte.
Russian Ambassador Igor Kholaev last month said in a news interview that Moscow is open to working with the Philippines “in any area, any field of possible cooperation.”
He also told the Duterte administration to “formulate your wish list. Think of what kind of assistance you expect from Russia and we will be ready to sit down and discuss what can and should be done.”
The President also met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Laos last September. Duterte said Medvedev told him Russia was ready to lend a hand.
PNP ADMITS NON-SALE HAS AN EFFECT
PNP chief Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa yesterday admitted that the sudden refusal of the United States to sell assault rifles to them will affect the law enforcement and internal security operations of his men.
Had the deal pushed through, Dela Rosa said the firing test would have been done by next month or March next year before the actual delivery of the 27,000 units of M4 assault rifles.
The main recipients of the assault rifles are the elite forces of the PNP – the Special Action Force and members of the Regional and Public Safety Units – which are active in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group and other terror groups, as well as other threat groups such as the communist and Moro rebels.
“We are affected in times of time lost because there is a need to arm our units especially those involved in counter-terrorism and internal security operations,” said Dela Rosa.
LACSON: USBULLYING PH
The United States is bullying the Philippines, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said yesterday.
Lacson described the US treatment of the Philippines as unfair since the country is an equally sovereign state.
The former Philippine National Police chief during the Estrada administration said the US, a long time ally of the Philippines, showed its bully attitude to the world when its State Department decided not to sell 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP after Duterte criticized President Obama who has criticized the government’s deadly anti-drug campaign and his independent foreign policy now shifting towards China and Russia.
The US decision to ban the rifle sale was not a scare tactic but a bully attitude, Lacson said. “Prudence dictates that the US State Department should first show a conclusive investigation that says what Sen. Benjamin Cardin has alleged before issuing a statement banning the sale of assault rifles to our uniformed services,” Lacson said.
Though it may disrupt the implementation of the PNP’s Capability Enhancement Program, the Philippine government should now start shopping in other territories for the PNP’s armament requirements, Lacson said.
A Reuters report earlier said that US has decided to halt the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines for use of the PNP due to opposition by Sen. Ben Cardin.
According to the report, Cardin, the top Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “was reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines.”
In September, Cardin also criticized the President over his war on illegal drugs.
“President Duterte, in advocating and endorsing what amounts to mass murder, has chosen the wrong way,” Cardin said.
“Sen. (Patrick) Leahy is absolutely right when he said that a lack of respect for rule of law and democratic governance breeds instability, distrust and sometimes violence,” Cardin added.
(With reports from Aaron B. Recuenco and Mario B. Casayuran)
well kahit na nga prime minister ng russia na tutulong sila sa abot ng kanilang makakya para sa isyung ito at baka may maibigay pa sila ng magandang armaments para sa atin
nagyabang na naman ang matandang walang pinagkatandaan! kawawa pilipinas sayo dutae!
nagpapapansin ka koya. ano basher kuno?
maglaway ka na sa gamit ng US du30 nakakapanghinayang ano well manigas ka sa mga baril paborito mo pa naman,.LOLz
tama nga nman si pangulong digong. pwede naman tayong makabili ng mga bagong armas sa russia. nagsabe naman kasi ang russia na tutulungan ang pilipinas..
uu nga..meron din naman nagmamanufacture ng baril dito sa pilipinas..de kalibre pa!
lols you made my day, lahat naman ng baril di kalibre 😀 😀 😀
bato said also na pede rin sa CH na makahingi ng tulong in terms na baril ang paguusapan
totoo yun koya. marameng bansa ang makakatulong para makabili tayo ng magagandang klase ng armas
kung kaya naman natin na mag produce y not alam natin na meron dito na mga gunsmith how about na bigyan na lang silang pondo o resourcce para tayo na lang ang gumawa na pinoy
we should and we could build new gunsmith factory here in ph
mas marami ang armas nila kesa sa sinasabi mo peding hingaan ng 2long hindi tlaga ito nag iisip si dugong
madali nman talga tayo makaka kuha ng mga armas sa kaibigan natin bansa na Russia magaling ang pdu30 makipag kaibigan kasi.
naku naman ngpapaniwala kayo jan sa pangulo niyo na halang ang kaluluwa?nagbubulag bulagan!
alangan namn kasi kuya na saiyo kami mniwala?mas lalong hindi ka kapani paniwala!
tama naman ang pangulo na malaki at maganda din ang kagamitan sa russia madami mapagkukunan ang pilipinas dun.
malaki ang magagawa ng russia sa bansa natin and hindi naman tyo pababayaan ng russia.
maganda ang pagkakaibigan ng russia at pilipinas kaya nakatitiyak naman tyo na hindi tyo pababayaan ng russia.
tama nga nman ang pangulo na madami tyong makakua na armas sa russia, malaki ang maipupundar nila sa bansa natin.
di ba sinabi ng pdu30 na hindi nman tlga tayo aasa sa America na.
marami ang kaibigan natin na pwd tumulong sa armas natin isa na dyan ang russia kya no big deal yan kay pdu30
umpisa na yan na hindi na tayo aasa sa US ang bansang russia magbibigay naman sila ng tulong saatin
umpisa na yan ng hindi pag asa natin sa US tama nman si pdu30 di ba
handa din naman tumulong ang bansang russia pag dating dito.
wala tayong dapat ipangamba dahil posible naman tayong tulungan ng China.
nag papapansin lang ata yang amerika.
kung hindi nya kc pinag mumura ang amerika hindi sana ganito.
lahat naman ng nkikita nyo yung pagmumura ni digong,yung nagawa nya dito sa ating bansa hindi nyo nkikita.
watch your word pre! wala kang alam.
ang pag mumura mo hindi mo napapansin ah 😀