02:19.0
Ang Pilipinas po ay nag-abstain. So pag-usapan natin itong vote na ito because actually I immediately tagged the Department of Foreign Affairs to explain bakit tayo nag-abstain, why neither for or against tayo, why did we choose to be somewhere in the middle.
02:36.0
And whether somewhere in the middle is about being safe or whether it was a principled neutrality. Now it looks like actually, at least kung tinignan natin ang position ng Department of Foreign Affairs, actually the position of the Philippine government is much more nuanced. They had a party problem dun sa text ng resolution na pinasangin ng majority.
02:59.0
120 po ay bumoto in favor ng itong United Nations resolution calling for protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations amid the ongoing military operations in Gaza. So 13 po ay nag-no. Sorry I'm just trying to make sure. And then few dozen nag-abstain but 120 po ay voted in favor of that.
03:26.0
The countries that voted actually in favor of this resolution for protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations amid the ongoing operations in Gaza include countries like France, countries like, it looks like even Switzerland which is generally a very neutral country. It considers also Spain, it considers Portugal, it considers New Zealand.
03:53.0
So a number of actually European countries. It considers also, it includes also Norway, developing democracies, developing countries like Brazil. So around 120 po ay bumoto.
04:07.0
Kasama po natin ay countries like Australia, yung isang kabidbahay natin. Kasama po natin isang country na tulad ng Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, obviously. Kasama po natin sa mga countries na nag-abstain. Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Japan, Italy. So quite important, no?
04:33.0
Ito po yung mga kasama natin. Interestingly, may mga Arab Muslim majority countries also who voted abstain just like us including Tunisia and Iraq which I think was quite an interesting and some would say surprising and some would even say disappointing depending on where you stand on this issue.
04:49.0
So marami po din tayong kasama. In fact, for me the most important is, sorry I'm just looking at the list kasi yung mga voting record dito. But I think the most important one is the vote by India which is the largest nation on earth and India actually voted abstain.
05:05.0
Now this is quite consistent with the positions they have been taking over the years including dun sa conflicts in Ukraine last year. Repeatedly, India actually refused to side with Ukraine against Russia and they abstain. Of course, we know right now pagtating sa India's situation, they have a very close relationship with Israel, defense, security, among others.
05:30.0
But of course, sa India, yung kanilang Minister of Foreign Affairs also had quite a nuanced state emphasizing the importance of protection of Palestinian rights. Yung mga ating mga kaibigan na Indians actually also tagged us on Twitter with information that India also sent relief goods sa Gaza although I said that's not unique to India. Even African countries like Rwanda have been sending relief goods to Gaza.
05:57.0
So interestingly, kasama po natin yung mga ganitong bansa who abstained. And then interestingly, ito po yung mga bansa na nag-vote against the resolution calling for protection of civilians and upholding of legal and humanitarian. Ito yung mga bansa na bumota against.
06:14.0
So obviously, yan doon yung victima nung mga massacres and attacks noong October 7. Kasama din ng United States dito. Of course, ki-align niyo yung Israel. But the other countries who are joining them, they're just over a dozen. So you have Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Tonga.
06:39.0
And then you have some countries like Austria, Hungary, Croatia, European Union member. And then you have Guatemala. And then Paraguay. So ito yung mga countries naman ang sumali sa America at kanyang aliyado, number one ally in the Middle East, voting against the resolution.
06:58.0
So this is quite interesting. So the Philippines is not alone. We are joined by dozens of other countries, including Germany, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania. And as I said, importantly, also you have Japan, you have Italy.
07:14.0
And then you have Iraq, you have Tunisia. So two Arab Muslim-majority countries. I think it's quite interesting to also see what was the dynamic behind this because practically all other Muslim-majority countries and Arab countries voted in favor of the resolution. And then Indonesia also voted in favor of the resolution. Of course, it's Southeast Asian country, but Muslim-majority country.
07:41.0
But India also voted abstain. So we're not alone. We're currently in that kind of camp. It's not the largest camp. It's a few dozen. The majority, close to majority, voted actually in favor of the resolution.
07:57.0
So ang tanong ko lang kanina, siguro yung explanation na what's going on here. So sabi ko. So sabi ng iba, very supportive sila, sabi nila na of course, if you look at the history of the Philippines, it was the, by some account, the only Asian country that voted actually in favor of Israel during the partition vote at the United Nations General Assembly. Some even said the Philippines was swing vote. So there's also the defense and security relationship with Israel.
08:21.0
And then of course, there's a U.S. ally aspect to this. The Philippines is a U.S. ally. So some were saying maybe this had to do something with at least not voting in favor of a resolution the United States so strongly opposed. But in fairness, the Department of Foreign Affairs also released a statement kanina explaining yung circumstances ng kanilang vote.
08:42.0
And I explained to you guys why it was important that this explanation was made. Because as I mentioned a while ago, practically all, with the exception of Iraq and Tunisia, all Muslim-majority countries voted in favor of this resolution. And as you also know, we have millions of Filipinos in Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
09:03.0
And of course, we're also very concerned about the developments in other parts of the world as there are more and more protests and more and more rallies in favor of Palestine as tensions in the region rise. So of course, we're very worried also about yung mga kababayan natin sa mga iba't-ibang bansa sa agit ng Silangan. We're talking millions of Filipinos, including yung mga ibang kameta natin, supporters natin dito na nakinig sa atin.
09:24.0
Now, the question of course, therefore, is what is the context of explanation here? Because sabi ko nga baka ma-misunderstand yung context ng explanation ng context ng ating, sorry, I'm just seeing updates coming in from New York Times. So mukhang grabe yung guerra ngayon. So there's really, as we speak, there's already ground warfare happening right now in Gaza.
09:49.0
Now, the Philippines' mission to the United Nations actually provided some explanations. So yung ating permanent representative sa United Nations, Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo. Oh, si Lagdameo ang ano natin yan? Sa UN? Interesting. I didn't know that. Okay.
10:12.0
Said that the country's abstention was due dun sa resolution's failure to mention and condemn October 7 attack that led to the deaths of many Filipinos. Ating mga kababayan. Kaya parati ko sinasabi, we have to condemn any act that leads to the death of innocent civilians. State, non-state, whatever. Mali po yan. There shouldn't be deliberate targeting of civilians. That's wrong. We have to be very clear about that.
10:39.0
In this case, of course, bilang mga Pilipino, this hurts us a lot because yung ating mga kababayan pumunta sa ibang bansa para supportahan yung kanilang pamilya, para makahanap buhay, literally. And then you have this very horrible situation, them being caught in the middle of the conflict. So unacceptable sa atin yan. So as Filipinos, of course, we have to stand for the protection of our kababayans, our FWs anywhere in the world.
11:01.0
And when our kababayans are killed or victimized by violence elsewhere, we have to be absolutely clear about where we stand on these things. This is what being a Filipino is all about, right? Now, having said that, of course, we have to also look at the bigger picture. We also have to look at international law. We also have to look at our relations with a whole host of countries, including Arab and Muslim majority countries who are taking a very different stance on this conflict compared to the Philippines.
11:30.0
And also, we have to look at what's really going on here. So ayin kay Ambassador Lagdameo, because dun sa attack ng October 7, we recognized yung right to self-defense ng mga Israelis as provided for under Article 51 of the UN Charter, ayin sa kanya, referring to the resolution.
11:49.0
Now, para sa kanya, despite commendable efforts of the co-sponsors of the resolution to improve the original text, my delegation abstained in the resolution. Kasi yun nga, yung sinasabi ng Pilipinas is dapat klarong-klaro yung aspect ng condemnation ng attacks on civilians, which led to deaths of including several Filipinos.
12:12.0
So this is something that was important to the Philippine mission to the United Nations. But this is the interesting thing, no? So, sorry, 14 countries voted against. So United States joined by 13 other countries, yung Tonga, yung mga ganyan bansa na Marshall Islands, yung mga ganyan namin nation natin. And then you have also Austria, Croatia, Hungary, of course, Israel.
12:37.0
Wala rin kasamayan dun sa 14 na nag-vote against. Now, the Philippines joined yung mga nag-abstain, so that's a few dozen. But definitely not as big as 120 countries, including Norway, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, among others who voted in favor of this resolution, no?
12:57.0
Now, in fairness naman, ang sinasabi ng Philippine government is that we voted, we did not vote in favor of this resolution, but perhaps one reason we abstained is because there are things there that we agree with. So sabi niya the Philippines still called for the prevention of escalation and for the safe evacuation and protection of migrants in the conflict zones. We'll talk about that very shortly because hindi lang mga Filipino yung overseas workers diyan.
13:27.0
They called with grave concern the escalation of hostilities that has already left thousands of people dead and of course has also condemned any deliberate attack on civilians, no? The Philippines supported yung United Nations efforts in delivering urgent humanitarian assistance and essential supplies to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and expressed hope for a solution to be reached with regards to the Rafah crossing, so a train crossing from Gaza into Egypt.
13:54.0
Theoretically, this should be open because the other side is completely closed because an invasion is happening right now. This enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ayin kay Ambassador Lagdameo, remains a pivotal detriment to the peace and stability of the region. Ayin sa kanya, a lasting resolution can only be achieved through comprehensive dialogue and negotiations anchored firmly in international law. The Philippines ardently urges all parties to elevate dialogue as a primary tool for a peaceful and lasting resolution.
14:21.0
Doon sa three-page resolution kasi, it called for, yung UN resolution na we abstain from, it called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to cessation of hostilities. So essentially, ceasefire, like what Vice President Sara Duterte was pushing for.
14:37.0
So ang sinasabi ng Philippine mission dito sa United Nations is that we are for peaceful resolution of the conflict. We are for, quote, a lasting resolution of the conflict. We are for de-escalation of the conflict. Pero sa tingin nila yung draft mismo ay may pakakulang. It doesn't mention other elements that was important to them. So yun, it's very important.
15:03.0
So in fairness to the Philippine government, very nuanced po yung take natin. And I'm very glad that the Department of Foreign Affairs at least, you know, bothered to explain the full context of our voting. And as I said, the Philippines is not alone. We're joined by India, we're joined by Germany, we're joined by many, many major Western countries. But nevertheless, minority ang mga nag-abstain and mas maliit na minority yung mga nag-vote against.
15:27.0
While 120 voted in favor of this, including countries like Norway, countries like New Zealand, countries like Spain, countries like Portugal. France, sorry, I forgot to say, France actually voted in favor of the resolution. And France is, of course, a major democracy and a member of the United Nations Security Council, permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. So that's quite an interesting situation.
15:50.0
So we didn't join the France and the Brazils of this world, but we did join the Germanys and the Denmarks of this world by taking an abstain position. So let's look at this. So in fairness, as I said, there's an aspect to that.
16:05.0
Now, interestingly though, may isa pa akong bansa na tinitingnan dun sa voting record. Dun sa 120 na sumali sa voting in favor of the resolution, effectively calling for a ceasefire, is actually Thailand. And Thailand's an interesting case because at least on the surface, Thailand is also a US treaty ally like the Philippines.
16:27.0
And actually mukhang grabe din pala nangyayara sa Thailand. I knew that there were also Thai foreign workers who were victimized by the massacres back in October 7. But mukhang mas marami pa sa kanila. So the latest numbers I'm seeing is actually marami pa ang hostages.
16:48.0
But as of October 9, so two days after the conflict, 11 were kidnapped. 12 Thais were killed. And none of the eight Thai nationals have been injured in the violence. So ang dami rin na victima ng Thailand ng mga Thai workers dun sa October 7 attacks. And a lot of them have been reported kidnapped.
17:14.0
And Thailand is of course a US treaty ally, but they actually voted in favor of the resolution. So they have similar circumstances to the Philippines in many ways, geopolitically, and also in a humanitarian sense. But they voted differently. I'm sure they have their own logic and all. So I just felt that's an important comparison to be made here.
17:35.0
But nevertheless, I appreciate itong effort ng Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to provide some context dito sa kanilang voting sa United Nations General Assembly. Now, let me zoom out a little bit and discuss a number of other issues. Now first of all, bakit tayo may pake dito sa United Nations voting?
17:56.0
Now obviously, alam natin may limitasyon ng United Nations. If there's no agreement among the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, nothing's going to happen. And obviously on this issue, the United States is diametrically opposed dun sa position of countries like China and Russia. And increasingly also, France and the US are definitely not seeing eye to eye on this issue. Particularly with France pushing for a de facto ceasefire situation. Just look at the statements by Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron.
18:26.0
Who has been very clear about the need for protection of all civilian lives, for all lives regardless of color, country, or religion or creed. All lives matter. So that's the position that France has taken and that's why they're pushing for a de facto ceasefire here. Basit dun sa mga statements from President Macron and also these voting patterns that we're seeing.
18:49.0
Now going back to this, we have to also keep in mind that mahalaga na nakita natin ang explanation ng Philippine Embassy because if you look at what's happening in the United Nations Security Council, they actually shared the video about China. China presenting itself as a kind of a protector of the global south.
19:09.0
Now with China, okay, I see their point, but the thing with China is that they don't treat their own minorities very well and sobrang horrible in treatment ng mga Muslim Uyghurs, Uyghurs, even Hui, according to some in China.
19:24.0
But the thing about China is clearly they have a lot of interest in terms of keeping good relationship with many Muslim majority countries from Indonesia and Southeast Asia, a major country in Southeast Asia, all the way to Arab and Middle Eastern countries who are source of more than 50% of their oil.
19:41.0
So obviously China has a reason to position itself in ways that endures them to the Muslim majority countries. But I want to be fair, perhaps it's also a principled position by China because China also is positioning itself as a kind of a former victim of colonial powers, therefore as a non-Western power, it is in solidarity with non-Western peoples, etc.
20:05.0
But clearly there's an aspect to that. I think with Russia, it's much more clear. They're just exploiting this latest crisis to score points against the United States because I find it quite rich for Russia, Putin's Russia, which just invaded Ukraine and created a horrible humanitarian situation in Ukraine, to now talk about protection of civilians and all.
20:25.0
So this is an unfortunate situation we have. With France, well, France has a history of more independent thinking vis-a-vis America. France has a history, of course, of its own colonialism in the Middle East and the Arab world, and it has its own very complicated relationship with the Middle East and Arab world, its former colonies in the region.
20:43.0
But in fairness, in this case, France has went all the way to stand its ground and say, we are a Western major power, but we have our take on this issue. That's why it's like the US is spying on the majority minority.
21:02.0
Now, so first of all, we have to be fair and look at the geopolitical dynamics behind the drafting of the resolution, because the reality is that I think Brazil right now is the president of the United Nations Security Council. So in France and Brazil, I think Brazil is a solid developing country, post-colonial country, solid raising power. Yes, they have a lot of problem.
21:25.0
But Brazil is a very balanced and progressive country when it comes to international voting. And also, I'm quite confident in Brazil's leadership. Nevertheless, of course, Brazil has to deal with Russia's and China's of this world, who also have their own agenda. So that's one thing we have to keep in mind.
21:37.0
The other thing we have to keep in mind also here is that Philippines has to also be very careful about how we position ourselves internationally, because God forbid, if things get ugly in Taiwan or things get ugly in West Philippine Sea, we may need a lot of those countries in the 120 who voted differently from us yesterday.
21:59.0
And importantly, when you look at ASEAN, for instance, you have Indonesia, you have Malaysia, you have Brunei, these are all Muslim majority countries, so very strong feelings and strong take on what's happening right now in Gaza. So we have to also make sure when we make certain positions, this does not necessarily put us in a problematic situation with these countries.
22:19.0
And I think that's why it's important for us to explain the context. Obviously, abstaining was relatively safe position by the Philippines and should not necessarily prevent us from developing good relationship with neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia and Arab and Muslim majority countries.
22:34.0
So that's why it's important we explain the context and we make sure na yung relationship na natin sa mga bansa na yan, we keep them on an even keel because we may need these countries down the road when it comes to voting on South China Sea, on West Philippine Sea, etc.
22:47.0
Because, okay, thank God mahong prospect of war in Taiwan or even South China Sea are not as high as some fear, but there's always the threat of that. Remember in vlog na natin on three ticking time bombs, Second Thomas Shoal, Ayungin Shoal, Scarborough Shoal, Reed Bank, major delegating situation.
23:05.0
But in the meantime, while we are trying to avoid a short sharp war and total war there, the reality is that we're also seriously considering taking West Philippine Sea issues to United Nations Security Council. So down the road, I'm sorry, United Nations General Assembly, sorry.
23:22.0
So it's quite important the Philippines, when we make positioning in the United Nations, as ineffectual as United Nations is, as problematic as United Nations is, as fraught as the discussions in the United Nations Security Council are, given all of those elements, what is important for the Philippines is we should not undermine yung mga solidarity and support that we may need down the road should we take the next step.
23:51.0
In asserting the West Philippine Sea claims. So we have to also look at that aspect. We also have to look at that aspect. That's very important. That's why I said it's good that we emphasize we're also for de-escalation. We're also for lasting peace. But at the same time, we also have certain things that we felt should have been reflected in the final resolution or resolution passed by the UN that was not there.
24:16.0
So it's good to make that explanation, to make that effort, right? That's why I disagree with those who say, ah, tayimik lang tayo. Let's just vote like that and then we know that. No, no, no. Diplomacy is like a jujitsu. It's a constant wrestling game. And it's very important we balance things in a way that we stand our ground, we stand by principles, we stand for the Filipinos, we stand for the victims, and at the same time, we stand for humanity and also we keep a good relationship with Muslim majority countries.
24:43.0
All of those things are very important. But balancing is not easy, but we have to do that. Because again, do not forget, one day, baka kailangan natin itong mga bansa na iba yung voto nila sa atin. Obviously, I'm talking about the bigger number, right?
24:57.0
Okay. Now, of course, there's also the aspect of the U.S. being a Philippine ally and you don't want to alienate them. So perhaps voting by abstaining, the Philippines also wanted to keep that on an even keel. But you have many U.S. allies, including Thailand actually, who voted in favor of the resolution. So again, we can have a discussion about this. We can have a discussion about this.
25:17.0
Now, how should I put it? I mean, yeah, I mean, so this brings me actually to the issue of Ukraine because if you look at the votes that happened this year and last year, and I'll be honest, I'll be honest,
25:46.0
a part of me, I'm looking very much at this issue because I'm comparing the reactions of countries to when civilians were dying in Ukraine to when civilians were dying in a non-European context or non-Western context, right? Because again, we can have a very long conversation about conflicts and all.
26:05.0
And as you can see, my dry lips and my stressed face and exhausted, I'm not physically even in a position to do that, although intellectually, yeah, I'm more than happy to have that conversation. But the reason I talk about Global South is because, let's be honest, I mean, there are sometimes double standards. And let's be honest, there is prejudice and some would even say racism, etc. There are those problems.
26:34.0
So sometimes you wonder about how countries react. Again, we should condemn all forms of terrorism, all sorts of violence against civilians, given that, 100%. I'm just talking about the big picture here. So just to rewind a little bit, I'll post some of that.
26:50.0
So last year, when the Ukraine crisis happened, of course, a lot of us were very, very shocked and moved and tortured in many ways by seeing all of those innocent people dying, all of the horrible violation of human rights, all the massacres happening.
27:12.0
So last year, you saw that immediately, I mean, just a few days after the invasion of Ukraine, you had 141 countries voting in favor of resolution, essentially condemning the attack on Ukraine. 141 countries.
27:27.0
Only seven were against it, obviously, including Russia, and then countries like Mali, Eritrea, Belarus, and I think North Korea and Syria. So Russia was clearly very isolated in that. And there was a huge number of abstentions.
27:56.0
But still, the biggest one was those who were against what Russia did. So just over 30 had abstentions. Now, this year, we see 120 in favor of ensuring that also life of Palestinian children is not taken for granted, and that international law is observed amid the ongoing military operations.
28:23.0
So you can see the distribution is quite similar, like 120 to 140 in favor. So essentially, Russia was isolated before, now a little bit of United States isolated, and then seven against before, now 14 against.
28:39.0
So again, small minority in comparison to the majority. And then, still relatively large abstention, right? More than 30 in the case of the Ukraine resolution last year, and I think just over 40 this year. I'm trying to just bring this out. I'm going to post it down below, so don't worry.
28:59.0
Sorry, hindi ko makita yung full screen kasi dito. So medyo similar, but hindi similar yung voting patterns, right? Now, obviously, very different yung context na pinag-usapan natin. But at the same time, for me, it's also about caring about human lives, caring about children's life, life of children. It's about caring about innocent civilians.
29:23.0
And I think that should be very clear in terms of the Philippines' international positioning. So obviously, malapit tayo sa mga Western countries because of our history, because of our alliances, et cetera. Pero huwag din natin kalimutan yung ating colonial history in the past.
29:45.0
Huwag din natin kalimutan yung ating solidarity with other countries na hindi Western, right? With other peoples who are also facing discrimination, prejudice, and double standards, all of that. I'm just saying that aspect is important. And having kind of a global South solidarity is also quite important.
30:03.0
In fact, many global South countries who voted in favor of Ukraine, they were also the people who actually also voted in favor of the resolution for kind of a ceasefire and protection of civilians, et cetera. I'm just saying keep those things in your mind. Keep your things in your mind. And that's why I asked the DFA. I mean, I didn't demand. Sino ba naman ako? I mean, I'm quite someone, but not really someone.
30:31.0
But, you know what I'm saying? No, I mean, in my own humble ways, it gives the context and explanation to this. Kasi nga, kahit anong sinasabihin mo sa UN na walang kwentang UN, na symbolic lang yan, et cetera, clearly, many, many countries are making a lot of effort to make sure na hindi sila lumalabas as outside the movement of history.
30:56.0
Many countries are working very hard in the United Nations to make sure that they show the best face of their country. Many countries are working very hard in the United Nations to project themselves as leaders. China, Russia, Brazil, India, and of course, the United States. So, hindi eto irrelevant. A lot of signaling is happening here. A lot of diplomatic capital is being expended here or being gained here.
31:25.0
So, that's why I'm saying, bilang isang Filipino, mahalaga para sa atin na i-explain natin ang konteksto ng mga vote natin. And at the same time, make sure na we have optimal relationship with different sides. Because down the road, we might also need the United Nations to stand with us. Even though ineffectual in the United Nations, it still matters if you get a lot of votes in the United Nations.
31:47.0
Because the Chinas of this world care about votes in the United Nations, right? They don't want to feel isolated. They want to feel like a global leader. Now, later on, kailangan natin ng UN, potentially, if we're going to push for West Philippine Sea issue to be raised at UN General Assembly or push for more arbitration cases. Sinasabi ko, UN is not everything, but we have to make sure that morally speaking, strategically speaking, geopolitically speaking,
32:15.0
we find the proper balance here. All right? Thank you very much, Ma'am Rometa. Thank you, thank you, thank you very much. Sorry, I'm a bit inaudible. You can still hear me. Okay. Thank you very much, Ma'am Rometa. I hope you have had a good weekend and I wish you a blessed weekend. Have a lovely Sabbath day, whatever is your religion. You have to have at least, in my opinion, have a day or so for spiritual reflection, spending time with family.
32:45.0
Love one. So we're going to take a break. Siguro, ito na munang meta natin for the week. And then hopefully we can catch up sometime next week on better terms. Yes. And I'm glad that people are also mentioning other peoples. Yeah. Because, you know, many horrible things are happening to other minorities around the world. Like, let's say, Uyghurs in China. Rohingyas, of course, that was just a few years ago.
33:12.0
Things are, there are horrible things also happening in other continents of the world. There are concerns also about people in places like Ethiopia, etc. So sana, sana dito. You know, we show solidarity and compassion with all innocent children, with all innocent lives, with all civilians and fight for protection of civilian life everywhere, regardless of color, creed, or country and nationality. Yun lang po yun ang sinasabi natin.
33:39.0
At the same time, we also have to understand the bigger geopolitical context and bakit mahalaga para sa Pilipinas to make sure na our positions are principled and our positions are palatable and our positions does not undermine our national interests down the road. All right. On that note, thank you very much. God bless and talk to you soon.
