Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (R) flies to Russia Monday to meet his hero Vladimir Putin, seen together on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Lima in 2016, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy course further away from longtime ally the United States (AFP Photo/Mikhail KLIMENTYEV)

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy further away from longtime ally the United States.

The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in relations with Russia since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling his country's decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying.

"Russia must cease to be at the margins of Philippine diplomacy. Overdependence on traditional partners has limited our room to manoeuvre in a very dynamic international arena," Duterte told reporters before leaving.

"This is a strategic oversight that has led to many missed opportunities for our country. I am determined to correct this."

The trip will also be personal for Duterte, who has described Russian President Vladimir Putin as his "favourite hero" and proclaimed a bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting. The pair are due to meet on Thursday.

Since assuming the presidency Duterte has sought to build strong alliances with China and Russia while moving away from the United States, the Philippines' former colonial ruler and most important military ally.

He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the United States, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea and called for the withdrawal of US troops from the Philippines.

US military ties have been loosened even though China is expanding its presence into Philippine-claimed waters in the South China Sea.

Duterte said last week that Chinese President Xi Jinping had threatened to go to war with the Philippines over the territorial row.

But Duterte, a self-described socialist, has been determined to reduce the Philippines' reliance on the United States and build much closer ties with China and Russia.

"My visit underscores the independence of the Philippines’ foreign policy and the firm resolve to broaden the horizons of friendship and cooperation with other nations," he said on Monday.

China and Russia have supported or at least not criticised Duterte's controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that he may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war.

On a state visit to China last year he announced the Philippines' "separation" from the United States.

"I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world -- China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," he said at that time.

Duterte and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November.Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila.

"The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid," Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month.

Duterte said last week one of the top priorities of his trip to Russia was to secure precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines.

He had also previously said he hoped the Philippines would soon be able to start acquiring other Russian weapons.

The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but until Duterte took office relations remained relatively low-key.

This was partly due to Manila's alliance with the United States.

Philippine-Russian trade last year totalled just $226 million, according to government data, while Philippine-US trade was worth more than $18 billion last year.

Duterte's visit to Moscow will be a "propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia", analyst Richard Javad Heydarian told AFP.

"It will be their way of poking the eye of America."</s>The Philippines’ top diplomat has sought to downplay President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would go to war with Manila if it insists on drilling for oil in the disputed South China Sea, saying they were not threatening each other but talking about preventing conflict.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the talks were frank and friendly, with no threats or bullying, but would not disclose more details of the Beijing meeting Duterte and Xi, adding that they had the kind of relationship in which they could openly discuss preventing maritime conflict.

The notoriously outspoken Duterte said during a televised speech on Friday that Xi warned him there would be war if he tried to explore for oil in a stretch of the sea that both countries claim. China has yet to respond to Duterte revealing contents of the meeting.

“The conversation was very frank. There was mutual respect, there was mutual trust,” Cayetano told reporters.

“The context was not threatening each other, that we will go to war. The context is how do we stabilize the region and how do we prevent conflict.”

The maverick Duterte has faced criticism at home for refusing to push China to comply with an award last year by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which ruled largely in favor of the Philippines.

It also said the Philippines had a sovereign right to access offshore oil and gas fields in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including the Reed Bank.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to sovereignty in the South China Sea, a vital conduit for trade and a hotbed of territorial squabbling that has stoked nationalist fervor in some countries. “I will not contradict the president’s words. I am just telling you…my interpretation: there was no bullying or pushing around, it was not a threat,” Cayetano added. “It was more the threat of conflict will always be there if we don’t have dialogue.”

A Philippine Supreme Court judge on Saturday urged the government to file another international arbitration case over the alleged Chinese threat, and also lodge a complaint with the United Nations.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said failure to do that would mean Duterte would be “selling us out” and forfeiting sovereignty to secure Chinese loans and investments needed for his ambitious $180 billion infrastructure program.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella on Monday said the Philippines was “very clear that we are not giving up our claim of sovereignty and sovereign rights.”

Duterte was to fly to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation’s foreign policy course further away from longtime ally the United States.

The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in ties between the two nations since Duterte came to power last year and began unraveling the Philippines’ decades-long alliance with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying.

Duterte will on Thursday meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has described as his “favorite hero” and proclaimed a personal bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting.

Duterte said Friday one of the top priorities of his trip was to secure Russian precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines.

“If they can spare us with the precision guided (bombs),” Duterte said when discussing the purpose of his trip.

“We have so many smart bombs but not as accurate.”

Duterte’s seeking of weapons from Russia comes as he dials down cooperation with the United States, the Philippines’ former colonial ruler that has for decades been its most important military ally and protector.

He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the U.S., barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea, and called for the withdrawal of American troops from the Philippines.

The shift occurred as China has become more assertive in challenging U.S. might in the region by expanding its presence in the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety.

Despite China’s expansionism extending into areas of the sea claimed by the Philippines, Duterte has been determined to pivot his nation’s foreign policy away from the United States in favor of Beijing and Moscow.

This has partly been due to China and Russia supporting or at least not criticizing his controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticizing the drug war.

On a state visit to China last year, Duterte announced the Philippines’ “separation” from the United States.

“I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world — China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” he said in Beijing.

Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November.

“Historically, I have been identified with the Western world. It was good until it lasted. And of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations,” Duterte told Putin then.

Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila.

“The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid,” Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy’s guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month.

The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but, until Duterte took office, relations remained relatively low key.

This was partly due to the Philippines’ alliance with the United States.

Philippine-Russian trade last year totaled just $226 million, according to government data. Philippine-U.S. trade was worth more than $18 billion last year.

Relations remain at the “nascent stage”, but this will change, assistant Philippine foreign secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad told reporters in a briefing on Duterte’s trip to Russia.

“We consider this visit as a landmark that will send a strong message of the Philippines’ commitment to seek new partnerships and strengthen relations with non-traditional partners,” she said.

Duterte visiting Moscow will be a “propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia,” said Richard Javad Heydarian, a foreign policy analyst in Manila.

“It will be their way of poking the eye of America.”</s>PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is expecting that his "most-anticipated" four-day visit to Russia would give the much-needed boost to the four decades old bilateral relations between Moscow and the Manila. "Russia is a country that we must work with.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Sun-Star.</s>DAMASCUS, SYRIA (8:30 P.M.) – Overnight, heavy clashes erupted in the predominately Sunni city of Marawi in the southern Philippines after security forces and ISIS sleeper cells battled it out for hours on end.

2 soldiers and 1 police officer were killed in the skirmishes although no civilians were injured by crossfire, a military source told Al-Masdar News.

Subsequently, the Philippine Army withdrew from most of the city on Tuesday morning, thereby making it the first city in southeast Asia to come under Islamic State control.

Some 500 ISIS insurgents are said to be present in Marawi. These heavily armed jihadist fighters have taken control of the city center and set up roadblocks in several districts.

In addition, ISIS members have captured the main prison in Marawi and released over a hundred prisoners, many of whom are caliphate sympathisers and may join its ranks.

Dozens of military vehicles and weapons were also captured during the battle although no official confirmation on the events have been issued by Amaq Agency yet.

Pictures of ISIS fighters raising the notorious black flag in downtown Marawi:

In response, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao province while the provincial mayor called on the army to send reinforcements which are expected to arrive tomorrow for a coming counter-assault.The Philippine Army still controls most army bases and government buildings inside Marawi and has set up checkpoints on its outskirts although ISIS controls most of the residential areas. For instance, the main hospital in the city remains under siege. Marawi is home to over 200,000 residents and is roughly the size of Raqqa in comparison.

Rodrigo Duterte is currently in Moscow, visiting Vladimir Putin.

Amaq Agency recently released a series of images depicting an ISIS training camp at an undisclosed location in southeast Asia, likely near the newly captured Marawi city.

UPDATE: Amaq Agency has now confirmed the ISIS assault. Heavy clashes continue overnight on Wednesday as the Philippine Army tries to retake its lost areas.</s>Philippines’ Duterte heads to Russia in blow to US

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation’s foreign policy further away from longtime ally the United States.

The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in relations with Russia since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling his country’s decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying.

“Russia must cease to be at the margins of Philippine diplomacy. Overdependence on traditional partners has limited our room to manoeuvre in a very dynamic international arena,” Duterte told reporters before leaving.

“This is a strategic oversight that has led to many missed opportunities for our country. I am determined to correct this.”

The trip will also be personal for Duterte, who has described Russian President Vladimir Putin as his “favourite hero” and proclaimed a bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting. The pair are due to meet on Thursday.

Since assuming the presidency Duterte has sought to build strong alliances with China and Russia while moving away from the United States, the Philippines’ former colonial ruler and most important military ally.

He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the United States, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea and called for the withdrawal of US troops from the Philippines.

US military ties have been loosened even though China is expanding its presence into Philippine-claimed waters in the South China Sea.

Duterte said last week that Chinese President Xi Jinping had threatened to go to war with the Philippines over the territorial row.

But Duterte, a self-described socialist, has been determined to reduce the Philippines’ reliance on the United States and build much closer ties with China and Russia.

“My visit underscores the independence of the Philippines’ foreign policy and the firm resolve to broaden the horizons of friendship and cooperation with other nations,” he said on Monday.

China and Russia have supported or at least not criticised Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that he may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war.

On a state visit to China last year he announced the Philippines’ “separation” from the United States.

“I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world — China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” he said at that time.

Duterte and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November.Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila.

“The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid,” Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy’s guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month.

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>MANILA Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte cut short a visit to Russia and imposed martial law on the island of Mindanao on Tuesday after a fierce bout of fighting erupted during a raid by security forces at a hideout of Islamic State-linked militants.Two soldiers and a policeman were killed and 12 wounded amid chaos in Marawi, a predominantly Muslim city of about 200,000 people, where members of the Maute militant group took control of buildings and set fire to a school, a church and a detention facility.Duterte, a native of Mindanao, cancelled a meeting set for Wednesday with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Tass news agency said President Vladimir Putin would see him before his departure Tuesday night, instead of on Thursday as planned. "The government is in full control of the situation and is fully aware that the Maute/ISIS and similar groups have the capability, though limited, to disturb the peace," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told a news conference in Moscow.The Maute and Abu Sayyaf militant groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and have proved fierce opponents for the military as Duterte seeks to crush extremists and prevent radical Islamist ideology from spreading in the Philippines.Abella said the militants "have shown no hesitation in causing havoc, taking innocent lives and destroying property."Duterte has warned repeatedly that Mindanao, an impoverished, restive region the size of South Korea, was at risk of "contamination" by Islamic State fighters driven out of Iraq and Syria.

Brigadier General Rolando Bautista, commander of the Philippines' First Infantry Division, said security forces were trying to locate militants who had scattered everywhere and were blocking reinforcements from arriving."There are more or less 100, divided into groups of 10 in different locations," Bautista told news channel ANC."Since they are advocating ISIS ideology they have to show ISIS that they are a force to be reckoned with."

FIERCE FIGHTERS

 Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said and some 1,000 soldiers would be in Marawi by morning, but warned civilians to stay in their homes."There are Maute snipers all around, so the troops are still holding and elements have already joined," he said.The purpose of Tuesday's raid was to capture Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf group which is notorious for piracy and for kidnapping and beheading Westerners. The U.S. State Department has offered a bounty of up to $5 million for Hapilon's arrest.

The military has not explained how the raid on an apartment turned into urban warfare that was still raging 12 hours later.The incident highlights the challenges facing Duterte, who has pleaded with separatists and moderate Muslims in the predominantly Catholic nation to shun Abu Sayyaf and Maute. He has threatened several times to declare martial law in Mindanano, and deliver a "harsh" crackdown. Martial law will apply for 60 days.The government has blamed the Maute for a bombing in September 2016 at a street market in Duterte's hometown of Davao City, which killed 14 people and wounded dozens.Maute fighters took over a disused building in the region in November and endured five days of military air and ground assaults before fleeing, with 61 fighters killed. (Editing by Mark TrevelyanEditing by Mark Trevelyan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.</s>The Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, is due to arrive in Moscow for a five-day trip in which he will meet his “favourite hero” Vladimir Putin and attempt to reorient his country’s geopolitical alliance further away from the US and towards Moscow.

Duterte has lambasted the US since he came to power last year, calling Barack Obama a “son of a bitch”, and has said Russia and China are the only two major world powers he trusts.

“I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” he said on a visit to China last year.

During the Moscow visit, Duterte will give a lecture at a top university and have bilateral meetings with the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, and Putin.

Russia has refrained from criticising Duterte’s war on drugs, which rights groups say has led to thousands of extrajudicial killings.

Duterte and Putin first met on the sidelines of an international summit last November, when the Russian president extended an invitation to Duterte to visit Moscow. Since then, military cooperation has increased, with two Russian navy flotillas stopping in Manila. Meanwhile, Duterte has scaled down joint military exercises with the US.



Duterte said one of the main goals of his trip to Russia was to secure precision weaponry to use against Islamist militants at home. After reports late last year that the US state department was halting the sale of thousands of rifles to Philippine police, Duterte said he would turn to Russia. “I remember what the Russian diplomat said: ‘Come to Russia, we all have here anything you need,’” he said at the time.

He even hinted he might be amenable to some kind of formal military alliance with Russia. “When it comes to the military sphere, the current situation in the world is reaching a critical state, and I can’t rule out military alliances,” Duterte told Russian news agencies before his visit. He added that China and Russia were the only two countries he believed to be reliable.



During the inteview, Duterte also explained why he had turned away from the US and towards Moscow, in terms that will be music to the ears of many in Russia.

“America, since the end of the 1960s, has been interfering in other states. They offer a country help but demand in exchange that the country adopts certain laws, for example legalises gay marriages,” he said.

“I don’t want anything to do with the US and I want them to stop telling me what to do. I’ve never been to their country, and when they invited me to Trump’s inauguration I declined, because I was planning to visit Russia.”

However, the White House has signalled that there will be less focus on human rights when it comes to foreign policy, and it is possible that Duterte could be embarking on a visit to Washington before long as well.

Trump and Duterte had a telephone conversation last month, described by the White House as very friendly, and the US president extended an invitation to visit, to the horror of many human rights organisations.

Trump has also praised Duterte’s war on drugs. It is believed about 7,000 people have been killed by state-sanctioned vigilante squads in the ruthless and bloody crackdown.

Putin has sought to portray Russia as an alternative centre of power for those who are unhappy with US dominance, especially as relations with western countries deteriorated after the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Putin will make a rare trip to Europe next week when he visits France to meet the new president, Emmanuel Macron. Moscow backed Marine Le Pen during the election campaign but will attempt to build bridges with Macron.

The French leader will host Putin in Versailles during a trip to celebrate 300 years of Franco-Russian diplomatic relations.</s>Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will probably visit Russia after a trip to Japan, he said on Tuesday.

Duterte, who is visiting Brunei, China and Japan this month, has said he would like to "open alliance" with China and Russia, which have historic rivalries with the United States.

"I will go to Japan, then probably I will go to Russia," Duterte told newly appointed government officials in a speech.</s>(UPDATED) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrives with his official delegation and contingent of businessmen for a 4-day visit to Russia

MOSCOW, Russia (UPDATED) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte touched down in Moscow past 11 pm on Monday evening, May 22 (past 4 am on Tuesday, May 23, Manila time) to begin his 4-day official visit to Russia.

Duterte was given a red carpet welcome, complete with military honors. He was greeted at the tarmac by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Vladimirovich Morgulov.

On his first full day, Tuesday, Duterte has no official events. His schedule sent to media states the entire day will be devoted to "President's time." This is likely to give Duterte, who has expressed an aversion for long-haul flights, time to rest before his official activities start.

On Wednesday, Duterte's first official activity is a visit to the House of the Government for a bilateral meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Around lunchtime, he will then lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

From there, he proceeds to the Moscow State Institute of International Relations where he will be conferred his first honorary doctorate degree as president. He will then give a speech in front of students and faculty of the elite school for diplomats.

In the evening, the President will join a roundtable of Filipino and Russian business leaders. So far, this is the first event with the participation of the contingent of businessmen accompanying him in the visit.

On Thursday, his 3rd full day, Duterte and his Cabinet officials will have an expanded bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his ministers at the Kremlin, former home to the tsars and now the official resident of the Russian President.

At this time, the two presidents will witness the signing of various deals, including one on defense cooperation.

Duterte and Putin are expected to enter into an even smaller meeting, likely one involving just the two of them.

This will be the 3rd time Duterte will meet Putin, who he has unabashedly called his "idol." Their first meeting was in November 2016 during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Peru. (READ: Duterte on Putin: We've become fast friends)

They met again in Beijing when they attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation hosted by their common friend Chinese President Xi Jinping. In fact, they sat together at the forum's welcome dinner.

On Thursday evening, the Philippine President will attend the Philippine-Russian business forum at a 5-star hotel. He'll then speak at a gathering of Filipinos based in Russia and nearby states.

Later that night, he'll grant a one-on-one interview with Russian TV, a major English-language news channel.

Duterte's last day in Russia, Friday, will be mostly spent in St Petersburg, where he will be welcomed at a ceremony in one of the city's historical palaces.

After that, he will visit a military shipyard and then attend, in the evening, his second Philippine-Russia Business Forum.

Later that night, he departs from St Petersburg for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where he is set to take part in activities.

The following Philippine government officials will accompany Duterte in Russia:
• Special Assistant to the President Bong Go</s>MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte late on Tuesday, TASS news agency cited the Kremlin as saying, instead of meeting on Thursday as originally planned.

Duterte on Tuesday declared martial law in southern Mindanao province after fighting raged in southern Marawi City between the army and militants linked to Islamic state.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who later had to cut short his visit to Moscow because of terrorist attacks on the Philippine southern island of Mindanao, tells Russia President Vladimir Putin that the Philippines is looking to Russia for modern arms to fight ISIL.