MANILA— Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Thursday his government will source military helicopters from the United States after scrapping a deal with Russia worth 12.7 billion Philippine pesos ($216.04 million).
It was not immediately clear from Marcos’ remarks whether a deal had already been signed with the United States, but his comments were aimed at addressing questions over the status of the government’s agreement with Russia.
“Now we have secured an alternative supply from the United States… In any case, we already have a replacement,” Marcos told reporters on the sidelines of a business forum.
Russian Ambassador Marat Pavlov was quoted by GMA News online as saying he has not received a formal notice of cancellation and the Philippines must honor the deal.
($1 = 58.7850 Philippine pesos)
—Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor
