Marcos to skip Peace Summit in Switzerland

President Marcos will skip the global peace summit in Switzerland this weekend and send presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. as the country’s representative, Malacañang announced yesterday.

-  Helen Flores, Jose Rodel Clapano

Galvez, head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, has been designated as representative of the Philippines to the Ukraine peace summit, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.

The Swiss-organized summit will be held on June 15-16.

The PCO has yet to respond to queries on why the President is not attending the event.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an unexpected visit last week to the Philippines to personally invite Marcos to attend the summit.

Zelensky has accused Russia and China of trying to dissuade other states from attending the event.

Before departing Manila on June 3, Zelensky told GMA-7 that the Philippines" "voice" against Russia's invasion of Ukraine was important, citing similarities in security challenges facing the two nations.