Bayan warns Marcos: Don’t turn Philippines into another Ukraine

MANILA, Philippines — Progressive group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) has warned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. about suffering the same fate as Ukraine, which they believe is only the site for a proxy war between global superpowers.

Bayan in a statement on Monday — after Marcos and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Malacañang — asked if the meeting leaned towards turning the Philippines into a Ukraine of Asia.

Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces in February 2022, leading Western countries like the United States (US) to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Bayan fears that the Philippines may be a stage of another proxy war between the US, and this time, China.

“[…] Both are pro-US presidents. Marcos wants to be the Zelensky of Asia. Does that mean turning the Philippines into another Ukraine, a mere pawn in the inter-imperialist conflict between the US and China? Such is against our national interests,” Bayan said.

“In Asia, the US and China are also engaged in an inter-imperialist rivalry with the WPS (West Philippine Sea) as battleground. We should by now learn from the experience of Ukraine. We should be wary of being a US pawn, and should reject all attempts at making the Philippines a US military outpost,” it added.

According to Bayan, there can be a way to stand up against China’s intrusion over the WPS, but it does not have to mean accepting US policies.

“If the Ukraine experience teaches us anything, US war provocations and escalation of tensions will not be in our national interest,” Bayan said.

“Stand up to China but reject US war provocations and escalation of conflict,” it added.

Earlier, Marcos hosted Zelensky who made a short and sudden trip to the Philippines — despite the war being waged in his homeland.  According to Zelensky, he took the time to personally meet with Marcos because it was important to inform the Philippine leader about the situation in Ukraine.

Zelensky in an interview with Radio Television Malacañang on Monday also confirmed that Marcos told him that the Philippines will participate in the Global Peace Summit, where Ukraine’s plight will be discussed.

READ: PH to join peace summit for Ukraine in Switzerland — Zelensky

“Yes. He said that the Philippines will support the summit.  I said, for us, it is important for us [for] him to come.  He said he will come and he will participate in the summit.  This [is a] great strong signal,” Zelensky said.

Earlier, Zelensky thanked Marcos for the Philippines’ support of Ukraine’s sovereign claims.  In 2022, the Philippines voted in favor of a 2022 United Nations resolution expressing “explicit condemnation” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

READ: Ukraine to open embassy in Manila in 2024 — Zelensky

Zelensky and Marcos failed to meet in Singapore over the weekend. Both Marcos and Zelensky came from the city-state, where the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense summit, was held.

READ: Zelensky in PH to promote peace summit he says China, Russia trying to undermine

Marcos was the keynote speaker there; Zelensky on the other hand was urging countries in the Asean region to support the Swiss-organized summit on the war in Ukraine.