Duterte in Russia

“Our President is certainly not traditional with his foreign policy and we are making unconventional friends this time around, but this is nothing new when it comes to the practice of diplomacy.

For the second time, President Rodrigo Duterte is in Russia for a state visit after the first one was abruptly interrupted by the Marawi Siege in 2017. This time, the President returns with a bigger entourage, bringing with him a whole lot of politicians and businessmen, as well as a dance and singing group — the Bayanihan Dance Group and the Philippine Madrigal Singers. We are on a charm offensive.

Among the Filipinos in Russia are 16 members of the Cabinet, led by Executive Secretary Bingbong Medialdea, leaving Justice Secretary Menardo Guevara in the Philippines as the OIC president. Senators led by Bong Go, and congressmen, with House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, form part of the political delegation. This writer can only surmise on which businessmen are there, though we can expect them to have interests in oil and transportation.

Our President will be treated and honored by the Russians. He arrived last Wednesday in Sochi where the Formula 1 was held just last weekend. President Duterte will be a guest in the Valdai Discussion Club, a forum organized by a Russian think-tank, with the theme “The World Order Seen from the East,” obviously to talk about the rise of China. The Valdai forum has been said to be the “Russian Davos,” making reference to the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, similar to China’s Boao Forum held yearly in Hainan, coined as the “Asian Davos,” coincidentally also attended by President Duterte in 2018.

After Sochi, the President will fly to Moscow where most of his Filipino entourage are already waiting for him. He will be visiting the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (with the abbreviation of MGIMO for reasons I do not know) that has been coined as the “Harvard of Russia” by Henry Kissinger (thank you, Wikipedia). There, President Duterte will be conferred a doctorate in foreign diplomacy and will be addressing the school’s faculty and students.

There will also be a Philippines-Russia Business Forum to explore investment opportunities in our country, and a meeting with the Filipino community in Moscow. Notably, there are around 7,000 Filipinos in Russia, quite a lot for a country that does not get much publicity in the Philippines — something that may change with the new e-visa entry allowed for Filipinos to St. Petersberg and parts of Leningrad.

What is the significance of the visit? Our President is certainly not traditional with his foreign policy and we are making unconventional friends this time around, but this is nothing new when it comes to the practice of diplomacy. The net effect of this state visit shall trickle down until the next generations. What the President, in fact, is doing is a roadshow in a country that knows little of the Philippines.

I was privileged to visit Russia back in 2014 with my wife and in-laws for a brief tour. We did all the touristy things: visit Red Square, Kremlin and go around in their efficient and elegant subway. I was most surprised with Gorky Park, their version of New York’s Central Park, where there were random ping-pong tables scattered all over for Russians to play on. After having beef stroganoff at a restaurant, we got to talk to a Russian who asked us where we were from. We delightfully said “Philippines” and, unsurprisingly, the first thing he said was “Manny Pacquiao!” and he bobbed, weaved, and shadowboxed just like our Pambansang Kamao.

In the bigger picture, Russia is seen negatively by certain countries, including our most beloved United States of America. But making friends everywhere is the basic rule in diplomacy, and President Duterte is merely being strategic in picking his new allies, which can be telling on his ideal image of the Philippines. Russia has a communist background and the last state visit of this magnanimity was in China, a communist state that does not conduct elections. Not that our President would like us to shift to communism, something that will never happen, but it seems that President Duterte veers closer to strongman leaders with whom he identifies with. Thus, I wouldn’t be surprised if President Duterte visits America in the near future, as long as President Donald Trump survives this current impeachment attempt on the Ukraine controversy and wins the upcoming presidential elections.

All in all, I expect President Duterte to bring home deals, agreements, a number of accolades and bragging rights that will affect the Philippines in the complex world of geopolitics. More importantly, the delegation will be bringing home strengthened bilateral relations with a strong country, which will be benefitted from by generations to come. The question is, will the Russians reciprocate the visit before President Duterte steps down in 2022?