Harris or Trump win won’t affect PH-US defense ties

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez —Gabriel P. Lalu/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States will remain unchanged, regardless of who becomes the next US president, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said on Monday.

Romualdez noted that the US stance on the MDT and its implementation would remain consistent, whether US Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election on Nov. 5.

While another term for Trump could bring shifts in economic policy, Romualdez emphasized that defense relations between the two nations would remain intact.

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“The defense establishment here is very much aligned with the way they want our lives to continue. The [Visiting Forces Agreement] has been in place for many years, since 1993 or 1994, and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement has also been around since 2016. That agreement continues, which we respect. The MDT has been in effect since 1951,” he said in a dzBB interview.

No dramatic shift

Under a Harris presidency, on the other hand, Romualdez expects a similar type of Philippines-US relationship as seen during the Biden administration, recalling how the incumbent vice president previously visited the fishing village of Tagburos in Palawan to check on the progress of the $28-million Fish Right program of the US Agency for International Development.

The diplomat pointed out that the United States is interested in maintaining freedom of navigation in the Pacific region, particularly in the South China Sea, where trillions of dollars in cargo trade pass through.

“More or less, the interest of the United States is similar to what our interest is, which is to keep that area free, and of course, our territorial sovereignty is also respected. I think the United States and other allies, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and even England and France, are all supportive of our territorial sovereignty,” he said.

If Trump returns to the White House, Romualdez said that his economic policies would need to be “closely monitored,” given his inclination to encourage American businesses to leave China and return to the United States.

“As you know, President Trump wants businesses that have been leaving China to be encouraged to return to the United States by offering them tax breaks,” Romualdez said.

He cited one specific area of focus: the manufacturing of products like semiconductors—a critical aspect of the tech industry—which Trump had pushed for to be done in the United States.

“However, with regard to supplies, such as those in the leather goods sector, there won’t be any changes. Our exports to the United States show that currently, the highest exports in Asia come from Vietnam and the Philippines. I don’t think that will change,” Romualdez said.