The United States of America, Israel, Indonesia, South Korea,
China, Russia and now… India.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte left the other day, saying
that he will talk to India because he would like to have access to India’s
cheap medicines. The president is one of the chief guests during India’s Republic Day celebration in New Delhi. Duterte
along with the other nine Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
leaders were invited for the special commemorative summit.
This marks the
first foreign trip of the president for this year and he made it sure it will
count in expanding the Philippines interests.
*
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| The BrahMos missile system is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile from India that is capable of being launched from submarines, ships, aircrafts and from land based mobile systems.( photo credit for moneycontrol news) |
On the first day
of his visit to India, the President during his bilateral talks with Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Philippines will consider acquiring
military weapons and warships from India.
The two leaders
had very productive talk during the sidelines of the India-Asean Commemorative
Summit, the discussions mainly deals with economic and political ties between
the Philippines and India and even the possibility of a military cooperation
between the two.
There
was a commitment, in fact, for the Philippines to purchase Indian military
hardware,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told a press briefing .
Roque
was prodded by the press to elaborate on the discussion between the two
leaders, he said that the issue came up when prime Minister Modi broached India’s
capability in the production of military weapons.
“The
Prime Minister said they have expertise in ships and other military hardware,
so President Duterte manifested that in the same way he has decided to purchase
weapons from China and Russia, he will also consider purchasing Indian
weapons,” Roque said.
It is
publicly known that the Philippines has one of the weakest military in the
Asian region, has been trying to modernize its military capabilities by
acquisition of modern arms. *
One
of the reports that came 2015 is that the Philippine military leaders have been
contemplating on acquiring Shore Based Missile Systems for the Armed Forces of the
Philippines. And India has been floated as a possible source of such missile
system with its BrahMos coastal missile battery.
Report from PDI
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