PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he began a historic visit aimed at boosting ties between the Philippines and Israel.
Duterte went to the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem for a bilateral meeting that also saw the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Temporary Employment of Home-Based Filipino Caregivers, Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation and Memorandum of Intent on the Collaboration on Promotion of Bilateral Direct Investment.
Officials who signed for the Philippine government were Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.
Right after his meeting with Netanyahu, Duterte laid a wreath at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial.
In his speech before he left Manila, Duterte said he would seek a “robust relationship” with Israel in the areas of defense and security, law enforcement, economic development, trade and investments, and labor.
Israel views its ties with the Philippines as special as the latter provided refuge to some 1,300 Jews who escaped the Holocaust. The Philippines also cast a crucial vote in a United Nations (UN) resolution that led to the creation of the Jewish state.
The Philippines, under Commonwealth-era president Manuel L. Quezon, implemented an open-door policy to accommodate the Jews who escaped from Europe between 1935 and 1941.
In 1947, the Philippines, under the administration of President Manuel Roxas, cast the tie-breaker vote at the UN to separate Israel from Palestine. The two countries established diplomatic ties 10 years later.
The tough-talking leader’s visit to Israel, the first for a Philippine president, is being keenly watched in light of the controversial remarks he made two years ago, when he compared himself with Germany’s Adolf Hitler and said he would be happy to slaughter three million drug addicts like what the Nazi leader did to Jews.
Human rights groups have slammed the Israeli government’s invitation to Duterte. Manila has largely ignored protests on the President’s visit to the Jewish state.
Meanwhile, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the President has brought a sizeable delegation to his four-day official visit to Israel, including 46 government officials and workers and 150 businessmen.
Roque made the statement in a bid to downplay an Israeli news report that Duterte brought 400 people with him to Israel.
“The total number of official delegates and accompanying delegates consists of 46 [persons] total. That’s in the official list,” said Roque, who is part of the President’s official delegation that rode a chartered Philippine Airlines flight to Israel on Sunday.
“I do know there’s a substantial business delegation of at least 150 who are all travelling on their own accounts,” he added.
The number of delegates, however, does not yet include the President’s security team, and his communication team.
Roque said he would try to find out the number of Presidential Security Group and military personnel accompanying the President’s latest foreign trip.
“(I am) not sure where the figure of 400 came from,” the Palace official added.
After the trip to Israel, Duterte will fly to Jordan, where he is expected to sign agreements on labor, defense and foreign affairs. His visit to Jordan will also be the first for a sitting Philippine president.