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Friday, March 29, 2024

Duterte, US envoy Kim meeting ‘private’–spokesman

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President Rodrigo Duterte’s meeting with United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Yong Kim was classified as “private,” the Palace said Thursday, as they expect closer ties with the federal state.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, who has kept mum on providing details, insisted he has yet to ask the President  about the issues discussed during the “private meeting.”

“No details were released. And as you know this is a diplomatic meeting, so it was classified as a private meeting… I’ll have to get clearance from the President himself on what he’s willing to release on the meeting,” said Roque in a Palace press briefing.

“We’ve always had good relations with the United States. And I’m sure that every meeting between the President and the US Ambassador will result in closer relations,” said Roque.

Kim took to Twitter to describe his dialogue with the President. The US official tagged it as an “excellent meeting,” emphasizing that the two countries vowed to maintain its “strong and ironclad” relations.

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“Excellent meeting with President Duterte to discuss shared goals, including defense priorities and economic partnership. Our alliance remains strong and ironclad,” the US Ambassador to the Philippines said.

The President’s meeting with the US’ top envoy happened three weeks after Duterte called on the US State Secretaries Michael Pompeo, Wilbur Ross, and James Mattis.

The officials cited the track record of the US in supplying defense equipment to the Philippines, even as they expressed their strongest support to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“We know however that our nations can do even more to integrate our economic and security concerns,” the letter, which was signed by the three officials, read.

Duterte, however, urged the US’ three toughest officials to prove their “utter good faith” in helping the country’s defense through procurement of fighter jets and attack helicopters. 

“Don’t tell me we’re friends because it was not a friendship agreed upon [and] mutually satisfying,” he bared. “It was a friendship imposed on us because when you won in the Spanish-American War, the Philippines was handed to you, America, like a chattel.”

The meeting also came on the heels on the issues of the return of the historic Balangiga bells to the country, and the US President Donald Trump blaming the inflation on US-China trade war.

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