Harris, Trump camps gave assurance – envoy
AMBASSADOR to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez yesterday expressed confidence that relations between the Philippines and the United States will remain strong regardless of who becomes the next US president.
Romualdez said he was able to talk to the camp of Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, including their national security advisers, and both assured him the foreign policy will be the same.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a major change in the policies of the United States as far as our alliance is concerned,” he told radio dzBB.
The US presidential election on November 5 is a close contest between Harris, the Democratic candidate, and Republican Trump, based on polls.
Romualdez, who became Manila’s top envoy to Washington in 2017 during the term of president Rodrigo Duterte, also noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met and talked with Harris during his visit twice to Washington.
With this, Romualdez assured the public they have nothing to be concerned about, including on the issue of the West Philippine Sea dispute with China, whoever wins the US presidential elections on November 5.
“Sa tingin ko, dahil ang kausap ko naman diyan ay ating mga military dito o ‘yung Pentagon, alam nila it is for our mutual interest. Interes ‘yun ng Amerika, interest din natin (I think, because I have been talking to the military here and the Pentagon, they all know that it is for our mutual interest. That is for the interest for the US, that is for the interest of the Philippines),”he said.
Romualdez said that aside from being a close ally of Manila, Washington is also very concerned about ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea where over $5 trillion worth of goods passes annually.
Manila and Washington are bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty to come to each other’s aid in case of an armed invasion or aggression.
Aside from freedom of navigation, Romualdez said the issue of supply chain, which could be affected if the maritime territorial dispute turns into open conflict, is also very important to the US and to other allied countries such as Australia, Japan and South Korea
“Yung kanilang supply chain importante din ‘yan. Siyempre hindi naman lahat pwedeng gawin dito sa Amerika sa isang click of a finger. Kaya importante sa kanila na kasama nila ang kaalyado nila katulad natin, Japan, Australia, South Korea at iba pang mga bansa diyan sa South China Sea issue (Their supply chain is also important to them. Of course they cannot manufacture everything here in America, at the click of a finger. So it is important to them that they are with their allies like us, Japan, Australia, South Korea and others countries involved in the South China Sea issue),” he said.
Romualdez said he also does not see any negative impact on economic and trade ties between Manila and Washington, whoever wins the US presidential elections.
The US is the country’s top trading partner and a major source of foreign investment, with $22.6 billion in total goods trade last year and an estimated $10.6 billion in trade in services.
Over four million Filipino-Americans live in the United States, and almost 300,000 American citizens reside in the Philippines.
