Duterte’s historic visit to Israel won’t hurt PH ties with Arab nations — DFA

The Philippine government is confident that the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Israel would not hurt Manila’s bilateral relations with nations that do not recognize the Jewish state.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella said the President’s trip was about “widening our horizons so that we are able to strengthen our relationships with the rest of the nations.”

“As we point it out, we are friends to all and enemies to none. This should not serve as an obstacle with our ongoing bilateral relationships with each of these nations,” Abella said in a Palace briefing on Thursday.

“I believe the President has proven in many, many ways, again and again, that it is possible to have this kind of independent foreign policy while satisfying the needs of each particular relations,” he added.

Duterte’s visit to Israel would be the first visit by a Philippine president since the diplomatic relations between the two nations were established in 1957.

Aside from Duterte’s visit to Israel from September 2 to 5, Duterte will also visit Jordan from September 6 to 8. Jordan is one of the countries that refused to recognize Israel as a state.

Abella said the government was “aware of certain sensitivities” of the President’s visit.

“I believe we have reached a stage of maturity in our relations that they understand, each one of them, for example, those host countries whom we consider partners, they are aware also that we are in a relationship with other nations like for example Israel,” he said.

“It’s important that we strike a balance but if you’re asking, is it going to propose a challenge, I believe not,” he added.

Duterte sparked controversy in 2016 after he compared his anti-drug campaign to the Hitler-led Holocaust. The President later apologized.

“The President has already addressed that way back. In fact, he made a visit to the local synagogue here and obviously he was taken out of context regarding that matter. Regarding the actual relationships with Israel, the Israelis deeply appreciate his stand, his position, and his administration,” Abella said.

Agreements

Abella said the President will sign agreements on labor, science, and investment during his visit to Israel, home to some 28,000 Filipino workers.

“In the future, we expect improvements in deployment procedures and the elimination of excessive placement fees imposed on Filipino workers bound for Israel,” Abella said.

In his Jordan trip, the President will sign agreements on labor, defense, foreign affairs and trade and investment, Abella said.

“A closer relationship with these nations means more opportunity to share expertise with each other in the fields of science, agriculture, industry, and counter-terrorism,” Abella said.

/vvp