Palace on US foreign freeze aid exemption: Huge help for PH

Malacañang welcomed Tuesday the decision of the Trump administration to exempt the $336-million assistance for the modernization of Philippine security forces from its foreign aid freeze.

At a Palace press briefing, Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the exemption would be a huge help for the Philippines.

''Of course natutuwa po tayo... nagkaroon nga po ng direktiba si US President Trump na 90 days magkakaroon ng... ifi-freeze 'yung foreign aid so kung nagkaroon po tayo ng exemption at nagkaroon po tayo at ibibigay po at irerelease po ang $500 million foreign financing sa atin. Ito po ay napakalaking bagay at nagpapasalamat po tayo sa suporta na 'yan,'' Castro said.

(Of course we are happy. US President Trump had a directive to freeze foreign aid for 90 days so if we were exempted and the P500 million foreign financing will be released to us, then it will be a great help and we thank the US government for this support.)

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier confirmed to GMA News Online that they have received information from the US government about the aid exemption.

Romualdez said the amount is part of $500 million foreign military financing or FMF that was approved by the US Congress last year under the Biden administration.  

He expressed elation with the decision of the US government.

A $500-million assistance pledged by the former Biden administration last year to shore up the defense capability of the Philippines, longtime US ally in Asia, had received bipartisan support in the US Congress.

Washington’s assistance is crucial to Manila’s efforts to modernize its armed forces – one of Southeast Asia’s weakest – as it seeks to strengthen its maritime capability amid an increasingly aggressive China, which has repeatedly harassed and threatened Philippine vessels and aircraft in the West Philippine Sea. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News