MANILA, Philippines — Expectations of strong relations between the Philippines and the United States (US) regardless of who wins in the 2024 American presidential polls are a good indication, as Filipino lawmakers in the House of Representatives said this would be key in maintaining the country’s sovereignty.
Deputy Speaker David Suarez, Manila 1st District Rep. Ernesto Dionisio, and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Wednesday all agreed that the ironclad commitment between the two countries should be maintained whether it will be a Democrat or Republican victory this November.
“Number one, we’re happy because we know that there will be an election in the US this November, and we do not know what its results would be between the two parties vying for the presidency, but what’s important here is that whatever the outcome may be, the position of the US and our country which has been ironclad for the past decades should not change,” Suarez said in Filipino.
US Defense chief Lloyd Austin III and Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the assurance that presidential elections would not change US-Philippine ties after the 2+2 dialogue in Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday.
Austin and Blinken met with their Philippine counterparts, Defense Chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, to discuss policy directions on the Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites and more military support amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
READ: Election outcome unlikely to affect US support to PH – officials
During this event, the US officials also committed to providing a $500 million (P29.3 billion) worth of military and security support for the Philippines — dubbed as an “unprecedented” and “once in a generation” investment, amid shared concerns regarding China’s aggressive actions.
READ: US to allocate $500 million in foreign military financing for PH
Dionisio and Barbers said that military aid from the US is a big deal as it would boost the capabilities of agencies and offices securing the country’s territorial integrity.
“Any addition is positive so you know it’s a welcoming thing that America will donate P29 billion that can really be used to upgrade the capabilities of teams securing the West Philippine Sea, like the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces and it also shows that the bond of the Philippines and US, like what Deputy Speaker Jay-jay Suarez said, that it’s ironclad,” Dionisio said. “It’s a very important thing that regardless of who is seated, the practice of helping each other remains.”
“This will benefit our Philippine Coast Guard and we all know that our Coast Guard has had some problems regarding its capability, and now these funds that will be extended to the Philippine Government will purposely upgrade the capability of our Coast Guard,” Barbers added.
Furthermore, Barbers said that the US assistance may allow the Coast Guard to monitor other areas aside from the WPS, putting into reality his goal of having the eastern seaboard protected, too.
“Maybe they can, with that amount of money, not only secure the West Philippine Sea. I’ve been calling for a presence in the eastern seaboard of our country as I said, the eastern waters are equally important, and that traverses the Pacific Ocean from the north of our country down to Midnanao in Surigao City,” Barbers said.
“That’s why we want to have the capability to protect the Philippine territory and our EEZ in that area, so again with this development, this is good news that regardless of whoever wins in Washington by November, ties would remain strong,” he added.
Manila and Washington have enjoyed good relations under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden. However, as early as February 2024, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez was quoted as saying that the Philippine government has been monitoring the presidential race.
Biden was seeking reelection in 2024, but he eventually backed out last July 22 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris instead.
READ: Biden ends his reelection bid, endorses Kamala Harris
In April, before Marcos, Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio held a trilateral summit, Romualdez said that he believed nothing much would change should former US President Donald Trump win in November.
Romualdez — who was already US ambassador when Trump was in office — explained that some of the policies implemented by the Biden administration regarding the Indo-Pacific region started when from 2017 to 2021, the former president was at the helm.
READ: US official: PH can count on stronger ties, support while Biden is president