Trump offers additional aid to Philippines in battle vs. COVID-19

US President Donald Trump has offered additional assistance to the Philippines as it battles the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the US Embassy said Tuesday.

Trump made the offer during his phone conversation with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on April 19, according to an embassy statement.

"Both leaders agreed to continue working together as long-time allies to defeat the pandemic, save lives, and restore global economic strength," it said.

Sought for comment, Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said he was not privy to the details of the possible US assistance.

“I’m not privy. It’s covered by executive privilege. Ang sabi lang po ng Presidente it was about bilateral cooperation in the fight against COVID-19,” Roque said in a televised briefing on Tuesday.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. will continue to work closely together with the US government to continue bilateral cooperation amid the pandemic.

In March, the US announced that it providing the Philippines nearly P204 million or about $4 million in health assistance to help address the COVID-19 pandemic in Manila and around the country.

The US aid, it said, is aimed at supporting laboratory system preparedness, case-finding and event-based surveillance, technical expert response and preparedness, risk communication, and infection prevention. 

The Philippines has so far recorded 6,459 COVID-19 cases, 428 deaths and 613 recoveries.

In the same phone conversation, Trump also expressed condolences for the loss of 11 Philippine soldiers recently killed while fighting Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Sulu.

The two leaders also discussed how the United States and the Philippines can continue building upon the strong and enduring economic, cultural, and security ties binding the two nations, the embassy said. --with Virgil Lopez/KBK, GMA News