Former chief presidential legal adviser, senatorial aspirant Salvador Panelo on Tuesday, March 1 highlighted the importance of President Duterte's "Filipino-first" foreign policy, which he said placed Filipinos out of harm's way in relation with the country’s territorial dispute with China.

Panelo said that what's happening in Ukraine and Russia "is a stark reminder how the Philippines' own maritime dispute with China could go easily awry". As such, he commended Duterte's "prudence and resolve" in terms of handling the country’s own conflict.

"Our President was simply unwilling to put Filipinos in harm’s way, despite being consistently maligned and unfairly labeled as a China puppet by those not responsible for the protection of Filipino lives," he said.

Panelo said Ukraine's valiant stand to defend itself against Russian aggression is "admirable and inspiring" to countries like ours that have disputes with larger nations that may lead to war.

For Panelo, it does not matter whether the United States (US) of America can be relied upon to honor the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in the event of armed aggression from China, as the battles would be fought on Philippine soil.

"Further, the Ukraine experience has shown that US involvement or the risk thereof may in fact serve as the very impetus for a preemptive attack from a threatened superpower," he said.

Panelo said the next president should continue enforcing his former boss, Duterte's foreign policy as well as exert efforts to strengthen the country's military.