Marcos sends sympathies to wildfire victims; virtual trilateral call postponed

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PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday extended the Filipinos’ deepest sympathies to all who have been affected by the wildfires in Southern California.

The President, in his official social media accounts, said many Filipinos are currently living in California.

“May the community’s road to recovery begin with strength, compassion and solidarity. Please stay safe and vigilant,” he said.

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According to reports, at least 16 people have died, 13 are missing and around 153,000 Los Angeles residents have been evacuated due to the wildfire that has already affected some 37,000 acres of land and threatened some major communities.

As this developed, the virtual meeting among President Marcos Jr., United States President Joseph Biden Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been moved to Monday, Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez said yesterday.

Chavez, in a message to media, said the US government had conveyed the rescheduling of the trilateral phone call, initially set for Sunday, January 12, “due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.”

Biden, who was supposed to visit Rome and Italy, had also canceled the trip to attend to the wildfire incident.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the virtual meeting among the three leaders was expected to discuss the progress made on the Philippines-Japan-US Trilateral Cooperation forged in April last year.

Marcos, Biden and Ishiba are also expected to discuss economic matters affecting the three nations as well as regional and global developments.

The Philippines, the US, and Japan, on April 12, 2024, established the trilateral maritime cooperation which aims to safeguard the three countries’ peoples at sea. The agreement includes future collaborations among the coast guards of the three nations “to improve interoperability and advance maritime security and safety.”

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