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‘THE US IS STRONGER WHEN OUR PARTNERS ARE STRONG’

No fear over PHL independent foreign policy, says top US exec in East Asia


The United States also stands to gain from the new administration's pursuit of an independent foreign policy for the Philippines, its top diplomat in East Asia said.

In an interview with Filipino reporters on Monday afternoon, Daniel Russel, US assistant secretary of state, noted that the Philippines' independence "is a given" and respected by his country.

"This notion that the Philippines is somehow pawn or lackey of the United States... it may make a good story, but it's not supported by facts," Russel said.

"The fact is, the United States is stronger when other democracies, when our partners, are themselves strong ... We respect and admire the independence, the autonomy, and the democracy of the Philippines. You get to make your own decisions," he added.

"We have everything to gain and nothing to fear in a strong independent Philippine foreign policy," Russel said.

Russel met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. earlier in the day to clarify recent pronouncements made by President Rodrigo Duterte, who announced that the country is "separating" from the US.

Duterte, as well as members of his Cabinet, later clarified that this is only a declaration of intent to strengthen ties with other countries, particularly those in Asia, as part of an independent foreign policy.

Russel reiterated that improving the relations between the Philippines and China should not come at the expense of the US

"I wouldn't use the word 'pivot' to describe the gradual improvement, recent improvement in atmospherics between the Philippines and China, but whatever you call it, it's a good thing," the visiting diplomat told reporters.

"The tensions that have marked relations between the Philippines and China for some considerable time now, even preceding the seizure of the Scarborough Shoal, have been a driver of tension, anxiety, and risk in Southeast Asia," he said.

He added: "If the Philippines and China can talk directly on terms that are acceptable to the Philippines and are consistent with international law, that's a good thing and that could be an important step in the direction on the kind of regional stability and cooperation that the United States and the Philippines would like to see." 

'Constructive discussion'

For his part, outgoing Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said the US is open to "constructively" discuss the changes in the relations between the two countries.

"I would always say that we're going to look towards the future and to the well-being of both our peoples and how we can have those changes that are suggested, we can constructively talk about this," he told reporters at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, after the turnover of a C130 cargo plane that the Philippines bought from the US.

He underscored his country's commitment to its alliance with the Philippines, hence Washington's initiative to seek clarification of Duterte's statements.

"[O]n our part, we have a very strong sense that the Philippines is an ally, a friend, and we have a strong commitment to its defense ... so those are the kinds of clarifications that, of course, we need," he said.

Goldberg noted that "some of the language we've heard is not at all consistent with that kind of consistent, that kind of constructive discussion."

"I think our links are really very, very strong and so the military and security side and some other areas, even on the economic side, I think there was clarification on some of that, but we need to explore and we're willing to discuss it in a very constructive way," he added. — RSJ, GMA News

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