House backs Duterte’s recalibrated foreign policy

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte is on the right track in his foreign policy decisions, particularly his recalibration of diplomatic ties with Russia which recently hosted his official visit, a key House leader said yesterday.

“We expect stronger economic and political relations between Manila and other nations, including non-traditional allies, following the President’s commitment to further expand his foreign policy thrusts,” Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte said.

The Camarines Sur congressman said the Chief Executive’s visit to Moscow resulted in 10 business deals amounting to at least $12.57 million.

Officials of the two countries, led by Duterte and his counterpart Russian President Vladimir Putin, signed bilateral cooperation agreements on the peaceful uses of energy, scientific research, health, culture and foreign policy consultations.

Villafuerte expressed support for Duterte’s expanding his administration’s  foreign policy, announced by the Chief Executive at the Valdai Forum in Sochi, Russia.

At the forum, Duterte bared plans to expand the country’s relations with Latin America, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East in the next three years.

The senior administration lawmaker, along with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, his wife Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and several others, were part of the official delegation of Duterte in his visit to the Kremlin.

Villafuerte likewise commended the Chief Executive for seeking better protection for migrant Filipinos by pushing for a labor deal for overseas Filipino workers during his bilateral meeting with Putin.

Duterte said the Philippines and Russia have agreed to broaden and deepen ties in all areas of cooperation, including security and defense, trade and investment, agriculture, energy, science and technology, and socio-cultural exchanges.

Go nuke

Another lawmaker, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, said the Philippines stands to benefit much from President Duterte’s plan to tap Russia’s state nuclear company for the country’s energy requirement.

“Russia is into various forms of energy production which could be tapped to help boost our country’s energy requirements,” Velasco, chairman of the House committee on energy, said.

Velasco is supposed to take over the speakership in late 2020 based on a term-sharing agreement with incumbent Speaker Cayetano.

He said energy was among the topics discussed at bilateral talks between Duterte and Putin in Moscow.

Velasco said 68 percent of Russia’s energy production comes from thermal energy, and16 percent each from hydro and nuclear. It is also known as having the largest natural gas reserves in the world, the second largest coal reserves and eighth largest oil reserves.

“We are rich in geothermal energy and our seas could also be harnessed for thermal energy production,” he said, noting both countries can be “good partners in building more sources of energy in the field of natural gas and thermal energy production.”

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi signed a memorandum of intent with Moscow’s Rosatom Overseas president Evgeny Pakermanov for “prospects of cooperation in the construction of nuclear power plants in the Philippines.”

Russian media reported that Kremlin has proposed to build a floating nuclear power plant in the Philippines.

While vocal about his openness to nuclear energy, Duterte said the safety of nuclear plants should be of paramount concern.

He also revealed his openness to reviving the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.