PH, US explore possibility of Marcos-Trump meeting

Manila and Washington are looking into the possibility of arranging a meeting between Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and United States President Donald Trump, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

This topic emerged during the phone call between DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

''Secretaries Manalo and Rubio agreed to explore a first meeting between Presidents Marcos and Trump in the near future,'' the DFA said in a statement.

Prior to this, Marcos reaffirmed the "strong and lasting PH-US alliance" and said he looks forward to "working closely" with Trump and his government.

Manalo and Rubio also discussed the state of defense and security cooperation between the two allies, including US support for Philippine defense modernization and the situation in the South China Sea.

''They reaffirmed the importance of continuing to strengthen economic engagements and achieving economic resilience,'' the DFA said.

''The two Secretaries likewise noted the role of the trilateral cooperation with Japan not only in reinforcing regional security but also in efforts to build stable supply chains in vital sectors and increase private investments,'' it added.

Trump returned to the White House on Monday after surviving two impeachment trials, a felony conviction, two assassination attempts, and an indictment for trying to reverse his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. —Sherylin Untalan/VBL, GMA Integrated News