The firearms ordered by Philippines from China are ready to be shipped, a month after the United States decided to stop the sale of 26,000 rifles to Manila, President Rodrigo Duterte said.
“China is pressing me that the firearms are ready. I will accept these. They rushed these for us,” Duterte said during a visit to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Northern Luzon Command at Camp Aquino in Tarlac City.
“The rifles are ready and they want to ship these immediately. So its obvious that China wants to give these to us,” he added.
Duterte said the firearms deal will be payable in 25 years.
“So it’s really very easy for us,” he said. “We do not need to ask for these from other [countries] because they [China] are willing to give it. It’s not free but it’s a grant actually. If it’s a grant payable in 25 years that is really practically giving.”
Duterte said he will likely send Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to finalize the purchase.
“I told the Defense secretary: go to them and get the firearms. I suppose we would send some general to receive,” he said.
Duterte visited Beijing in October where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Apart from China, Duterte said the government is also considering getting firearms from Russia.