Presidential candidates Ping Lacson and Isko Moreno differ on supporting the stand of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that the Philippines should take a neutral stand in the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
“Wala naman tayong pakialam sa Europe, kung anong ginagawa nila doon. Hindi naman tayo katabi ng Ukraine. Yung mga bansang karatig nagpahayag na ng suporta sa Ukraine. Tayo, neutral muna tayo ngayon,” Lorenzana said last week.
The presidential bets were asked to raise their hands in the CNN Philippines presidential debate.
Only three of them former Foreign Affairs undersecretary Ernesto Abella, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and businessman Faisal Mangondato agreed with the statement.
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Lacson meantime did not agree with taking a neutral stand.
“Article 1 ng UN Charter—signatory tayo dyan ano, na kapag may ganyang aggressor dapat may pakialam tayo. So may karapatan tayo magkondena sa ginawa ng Russia,” he said.
“While we renounce war as an instrument of foreign policy, nasa Constitution natin ‘yan, pero mayroon tayong pakialam kasi signatory tayo sa UN Charter,” Lacson went on.
Lacson said that the Philippines should join other nations in calling for an end in this invasion.
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“Katulad ng sabi ko di masama kung makisama tayo sa mga peace-loving nations para maging bahagi ang boses natin na pagkondena kasi aggression talaga yan e, invasion e,” he said.
Moreno meantime said that the country should be cautious with this issue as hundreds of Filipinos remain in Ukraine.
“Ano naman ang kinalaman ni Juan Del Cruz, ni Pedro, sa kasalukuyang hirap na kinakaharap ng ating mga kababayan…I think, before going to other things, we should attend, at bigyan muna natin ng panahon, kung paano natin itatawid yung mga kababayan natin sa pandemyang ito,” Moreno said.
“While it is true, all at the same time, we recognize treaties and agreements and I respect that, in fact, tama po si Senator Lacson, but first things first, Filipino first. Mga kababayan muna natin dahil yun ang pangunahing trabaho ng isang presidente,” he added.
