MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has pledged to to help U.S. fight Russia by allowing American forces to use former American naval and air bases in the Philippines if the war spreads to Asia, the Filipino ambassador to Washington said Thursday.
The Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States, Jose Manuel Romualdez said the Philippines would honor the decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), which binds the two allies to aid each other in times if a foreign power attacks either country.
“He (Duterte) says if they’re asking for the support of the Philippines, it’s very clear that of course, if push comes to shove. The Philippines will be ready to be part of the effort, especially if this Ukrainian crisis spills over to the Asian region.
“The president offered that the Philippines would be ready to open its doors, especially to our ally, the U.S., in using our facilities, any facilities they may need,” Romualdez told reporters in Manila during an online forum.
The Philippines condemns the Russia`s invasion of Ukraine and had voted `yes` for the U.N. General Assembly resolution which demanded an immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine.
