Marcos welcomes US lawmakers to Malacañan Palace
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. receives a US Congressional delegation in Malacañan Palace on March 26, 2024. Photo from Anna Bajo/ Malacañang Press Corp Pool
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday welcomed several United States (US) lawmakers to Malacañan Palace to discuss “geopolitical complications.”
A total of six US senators and one member of the US House of Representatives paid Marcos a courtesy call in the Presidential Broadcast Studio of the Palace.
“I hope that the time that you will spend here will be a productive time where we are able to discuss further the situation concerning the Philippines and the geopolitical complications that we are facing presently,” said Marcos during the meeting.
The following US Congressional delegation was composed of the following:
- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
- Senator Jeanne Shaheen
- Senator Roger Marshall
- Senator Mark Kelly
- Senator Cynthia Lummis
- Senator Michael Bennet
- Representative Adriano Espaillat
Marcos did not specify the said geopolitical complications, but the Philippines has been embroiled in prolonged territorial tensions with China over the West Philippine Sea. The US has consistently supported the Philippines as a treaty ally.
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“We share your concern about China’s aggression,” said Gillibrand in the meeting.
The Congressional delegation is not the first US delegation to enter the Philippines.
In March, a US Trade delegation led by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited the Philippines. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also visited the Philippines in the same month.
