Saying that the Russia-Ukraine conflict will cross political lines, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV insisted that the Duterte administration should also listen to the opinions of those outside the current administration.
A staunch critic of President Duterte, the former Navy officer asked the Chief Executive to “carefully study” the escalation of the situation in Ukraine so it can take the proper course of action.
He described the current full-on invasion of Russia on Ukraine as “very critical" and "very unpredictable” while the impact on the Philippines geopolitical standing and economy can be felt in the “short-term, medium-term, and in the long-term."
“Sa mga ganitong bagay, kailangan natin na we can set aside 'yung ating domestic politics, kasi it may involve 'yung national interest natin (In these things, we need to set aside our domestic politics because national interest is involved)," Trillanes said.
The former senator warned that if the government commits a mistake in its decision related to the conflict in Europe, "even the next administration will be affected."
He advised the President to get as much input and guidance from many people, including those from the other side of the political fence.
Trillanes, who is running for a fresh six year term in the Senate this May under the ticket of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, stressed that Duterte should deploy economic and political ambassadors to consult with other countries.
“Then eventually, ang magde-decide dyan ang presidente ng Pilipinas (the one who will decide is the President of the Philippines),” he said.
While the easy way out is to stay neutral about the conflict, the Philippines might suffer from such stance “if China gets involved and Russia succeeds.”
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Trillanes said among the factors that should be taken into account are the welfare of Filipino migrant workers Ukraine and how to safely repatriate them, the energy crisis that the conflict would cause, and the impact of the disruption in the supply chain, especially on oil prices.
The Philippines has earlier voted yes to a United Nations General Assembly resolution that calls on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
READ: PH supports UN General Assembly's condemnation of Ukraine invasion
It also asked concerned parties to resort to the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, saying that “it will at least halt the ongoing tragedy for a while.”
The 1982 Manila declaration refers to the “obligation of all States to settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.”
Russian forces, on orders of President Vladimir Putin, launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, sea, and air last week, signaling the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since the Second World War.
The invasion came after months of speculations that Putin would recognize the breakaway People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DNR and LNR), which are considered separatist groups in Ukraine.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine held in Belarus also ended without breakthrough as Russian forces continue their descent on Ukrainian towns and forced people out of their homes.