RUSSIA is resuming the production of short-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles that can be armed with nuclear warheads, despite having agreed to cease this activity.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, they are reinstating the deployment of such weapons because the US violated their agreement first.
In 1987, Russia and the US signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty to halt the production of nuclear arsenals.
However, Putin criticized the deployment of US nuclear arsenals in Denmark and the Philippines.
In his latest column, former Philippine Ambassador to Greece and Cyprus Rigoberto Tiglao explained that the deployment of the US’s state-of-the-art ground-based missile system in Northern Luzon is what Putin considers a violation.
Tiglao explained that the United States’ ‘Typhoon Weapons System’ stationed in the Philippines can reach Chinese territories.
‘‘The Typhon-launched missiles from northern Luzon, therefore, can reach all of China’s seven artificial island fortresses in the South China Sea, southeastern China, including Hainan Island, where the Chinese in 2020 established Sansha City, which administers all of China’s four claimed archipelagos in that sea,’’ Former Philippine Ambassador to Greece and Cyprus Rigoberto Tiglao said.
He emphasized that Putin’s mention of the Philippines as a location for the US weapon system is a significant threat.
Putin is a known ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping—both leaders of nuclear-powered nations.
Therefore, according to Tiglao, Russia now adds to the threat against the Philippines alongside China.
‘’This is the first time Putin referred to the Philippines’ involvement in what could break out into World War III by the two blocs of nuclear superpowers,’’ he said.
Geopolitical analyst Professor Anna Malindog-Uy believes the government should not ignore the Russian President’s statement.
‘So, that’s the difficult part because you are within the military configuration of Russia, among countries they see as threats to their own survival or security,’’ Prof. Anna Malindog-Uy said.
Tiglao called on both chambers of Congress to inspect the EDCA sites to verify if the US nuclear weapons deployed during the previous US-Philippine Balikatan Military Exercise are still present.
‘’I had planned to focus this column on a call for Congress, or just even the Senate, to demand the US and Philippine military commands to allow a committee of legislators to inspect the EDCA sites or the secret location in northern Luzon where the Typhon was deployed to determine if the Typhon has been withdrawn from Philippine soil,’’ Tiglao added.
‘‘In President Putin’s meeting with his security forces, including Russia’s elite forces and high-ranking military officials, he questioned whether the United States had indeed removed these missiles from the Philippines, as these are nuclear [weapons]. This is even against our constitution. Our constitution does not allow nuclear weapons in the country,’’ Prof. Anna Malindog-Uy said.
