Vice President Leni Robredo condemned Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that one must always “stand against bullying and unprovoked aggression,” particularly when violence is inflicted on innocent civilians.
In a statement released Sunday, March 6, the presidential aspirant also hailed the Philippine diplomats and other public servants who have been ensuring the safety of the Filipinos in Ukraine.
“I condemn the violence that has been inflicted upon the people of Ukraine, the violation of its sovereignty, and the threat that now hangs above all the innocent lives in the region,” Robredo said.
“I am grateful to diplomats and other
public servants who are working to secure the safety of Filipinos still in Ukraine.
“It is a moral imperative to stand against bullying and unprovoked aggression, especially given the reports of civilians and residential areas deliberately targeted in the course of this invasion. I stand in admiration of the Ukrainian people’s courage and resilience, and am proud of their efforts to defend freedom and a rights-based order— ideals that the Filipino people share.
“I stand firmly behind the Philippine government’s stance supporting the international community in condemning the invasion of Ukraine,” Robredo said.
On the BiserBisyong Leni radio show also on Sunday, Robredo’s spokesperson, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, reiterated that her stand on the ongoing war between Russia and the Ukraine mirrors the Philippine vote in the United Nations and the country’s interests in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines voted alongside 141 other members of the United Nations in deploring the Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and called for “massive assistance commensurate with the growing humanitarian crisis.”
Much like Ukraine, a small country defending itself from a bigger nation, the Philippines is also protecting its maritime interests in the West Philippine Sea by upholding the rule of law and the decision of the international arbitral tribunal invalidating China’s nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea, he said.*