NSA: It’s a go for procurement of Russian arms
National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the Philippines will push through with the procurement of Russian arms as the United States did not make the said items available to the Philippines.
Esperon made the statement despite the US policy, sanctioning countries purchasing military equipment from Russia.
Esperon, in a text message to the Manila Bulletin, confirmed that an order was made for some items.
“There’s an order placed for some items. It’s a go since US did not make it available to us,” Esperon told the Manila Bulletin.
It was earlier reported that the Philippines is at risk of breaching sanctions by the US over the country’s reported purchase of 750 RPG-7B rocket-propelled grenade launchers from Russia’s state-owned Rosoroboronexport at the price of P400 million.
According to Esperon, other countries also bought defense hardware from Rosoroboronexport, yet they were not sanctioned.
“By the way, India has bought up to 200 fighter jets from Russia. Yet India was not sanctioned,” he said. He earlier said that Malaysia and Indonesia also procured their fighter jets from Russia
Esperon said it is only Rosoboronexport that is the authorized exporter for the Russian Federation.
The US sanctions were imposed since last year against any country trading with Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors. This is to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, support for Syria’s government, and alleged meddling in the 2016 US elections.
While committing to study the matter early this week, Malacañang is wondering how US laws affect the country’s procurement of military hardware from Russia.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said that he does not know how can such US laws affect something that is not happening inside US territory.
“I do not know how US law could be applicable to a transaction that will be done outside the United States. The sale will be most likely in Russia, the goods are in Russia, and the delivery in the Philippines. So what is the relevance of US laws?” he said.
“The Philippines is a sovereign state. We have immunity, and we are free to enter into contracts as we please, and we are not bound by any domestic law particularly where the transaction will not occur in US soil,” he added.