PH ties with US ‘at its best’ now, says envoy

MANILA, Philippines — Relations between the Philippines and the United States (US) are “at [their] best,” thanks to the foreign policy of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babes” Romualdez, such good ties between the two nations will benefit the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Romualdez had served as the ambassador to the US under the Duterte administration and will only be continuing his stint under Marcos Jr.’s presidency.

“I think our relationship with the United States is probably is at its best right now and I would like to give credit to the former president Duterte because his brand of foreign policy as far as the independent foreign policy is concerned has reverberated well here in Washington DC in a sense that we are not going to be taken for granted and are not being taken for granted by the United States,” he said during the hearing of the Commission on Appointments (CA) foreign affairs panel on the confirmation of his nomination.

“This is very important to us and that kind of attitude towards us is very important for us now and I think the administration of President Marcos will be able to enjoy that kind of relationship that we have now with the United States,” he also said.

Romualdez likewise said it is the goal of his second cousin Marcos Jr. to increase economic ties with countries like the US, considering that the global economy is “at stake” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We all need to recover from it and I think the global economy is very important and the United States will be able to play a major role especially in our economic ties with the United States. That is sort of like the marching orders I got from the President that we are now to increase our economic activity between our two countries,” he said.

Romualdez has held his post since 2017. He was supposed to conclude his term when Duterte stepped down from the presidency last June 30, but Marcos Jr. retained his second cousin in his position.

The CA panel has recommended the confirmation of Romualdez’s nomination to the plenary.

KGA