China is prompting President Duterte to send some officials to Beijing and accept the weapons that the Communist neighbor is lending.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte revealed that China will provide weapons for the Philippines to help boost the latter’s security capabilities as the two countries are pushing for warmer ties despite the boiling dispute involving the islands at the South China Sea (also called the West Philippine Sea).
According to the President, Beijing is already pressing him to accept the weapons by sending his security officials to personally pick the firearms at China.
As he was talking to the soldiers at Camp Aquino in Tarlac on December 11, Sunday, the Chief Executive confirmed that he has been talking to some people with regards the arms from China and admitted that the Communist neighbor is already pressing him.
“The firearms are already available and they (Chinese officials) are asking me to accept them”, said Duterte.
China is even rushing, according to Duterte, who said that he still has a lot of things to do. He has directed, instead, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and maybe some generals, to go to China and pick the weapons up.
The firearms that China is providing is not for free. President Duterte said that the weapons are loaned but are payable in 25 years and he considers it as practically giveaways.
By this, Duterte seems to be closing its doors from other countries who are extending their firearms capabilities to the Philippines.
“We do not need to ask from someone else because they are willing to give it. They are not for free but it is a grant actually. If it is a grant payable in 25 years that is really practically giving”, said President Duterte.
The Philippines, with Duterte as its president, has been seeking close relationships with allies China and Russia following a rift with the United States of America (USA) over differences on the Philippine government’s war against illegal drugs and the rising number of extra-judicial killings supposedly caused by the drug war.