Duterte assures Russia of “working functional justice system” as 2 countries ink 9 deals

November 14, 2017

The Philippines and Russia have signed nine agreements on politics, trade and culture.

This as President Rodrigo Duterte assured Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of the "working functional justice system" in the Philippines as two Russians have been facing trial due to smuggling cases.

"I would just like to say that we have a working functional justice system here and they will get a fair trial and that they will be detained in a comfortable house...it’s still under investigation. Whether true or not, we will find out but I will see to it that they are treated fairly and no additional stress on their person that will happen," he told Medvedev during their bilateral meeting at the Coconut Palace Pasay City late Monday.

Medvedev is in the country for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Summits.

The Duterte administration has been criticized for alleged human rights violations, specifically of drug suspects, amid the government's war on drugs.

Medvedev said Russia is ready to expand its relations with the Philippines.

"We are ready to expand our ties in all the areas and dimensions including politics and trade economic cooperation, cultural ties...as well as cooperation and interaction on quite sensitive things and spheres such as fight against terrorism and mutual technical cooperation and arms supplies...and definitely I believe that we have opened with this a new chapter in our relationship," he said.

Medvedev assured Duterte that Russia would keep standing by the side of the Philippines.

"And no doubt we will keep standing by your side, we’ll keep assisting you in this very important and sensitive theme and along this track of fight against terrorism in the course like bringing or restoring law and order," he added.

During Duterte's attendance to the recent Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in Vietnam, Duterte held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Duterte thanked Russia for donating weapons to the Philippines.

The agreements signed between Manila and Moscow include Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Treaty on Extradition, Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Department of Energy and the State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom” of the Russian Federation, MOU on Cooperation in the Field of Mass Communications, MOU on the Development of Cooperation in Transport Education, and MOU between the Commission on Higher Education of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

The two countries also inked MOU between the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and the Federal Service for Intellectual Property of the Russian Federation, Agreement on Cooperation between the Commission on Audit of the Republic of the Philippines and the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, and greement of Cooperation and Partnership between Philippine company Vi Holding LLC and Russian company Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. Celerina Monte/DMS