President Rodrigo Duterte congratulated Joe Biden for winning the presidency in the United States, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Sunday.
"On behalf of the Filipino nation, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte wishes to extend his warm congratulations to former Vice President Joseph 'Joe' Biden on his election as the new President of the United States of America," Roque said.
"The Philippines and the United States have long-standing bilateral relations and we are committed to further enhancing the relations with the United States under the Biden administration," he added.
"We look forward to working closely with the new administration of President-elect Biden anchored on mutual respect, mutual benefit, and shared commitment to democracy, freedom and the rule of law," Roque said.
"Congratulations and we wish him all the best," he added.
Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday congratulated Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for their victory in the US elections.
“My warmest congratulations to President-elect @JoeBiden and VP-elect @KamalaHarris! Your victory is an affirmation of the shared ideals on which the long friendship between our two nations stand: democracy, civil rights, faith, and inclusivity. I pray for your success!” she said in a tweet.
Senators also congratulated Biden and Harris.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Biden's victory was a signal that “it's time to stop fighting and stop hating,” a likely reference to the divisive politics of US President Donald Trump.
Pointing to Biden's Catholic faith, Zubiri said it was “time for healing and unity for our brothers and sisters in the US.”
v Senator Francis Pangilinan said it is the will of the people who in their vast numbers animate democracy and chart the course of their future.
“The gift of democracy is a gift we the people give ourselves, and democracy is kept alive by passion and vigilance to translate our individual actions into a collective outcome,” he said.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Sunday underscored the lessons from the electoral defeat of US President Donald Trump.
He said “there are universal verities which we can learn from the decisive defeat of President Donald Trump showed that the electorate cannot be fooled twice by their elected leader. Lies and false propaganda will be unmasked and the politics of sowing discord merits the people's wrath.
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel on Sunday said America is expected to be “more welcoming” to Filipino workers under US-elect President Joe Biden.
“There’s no question the anti-immigration policies of the outgoing administration of President Donald Trump made it more difficult for many foreigners, including Filipinos, to participate in America’s labor markets through all sorts of visa restrictions, he said.
“In contrast, we are hoping that the Biden administration will be more receptive to Filipino workers,” he added.
“We are hoping that under Biden, the Philippines will soon be returned to the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to receive H-2A and H-2B visas,” he said.
Under President Donald Trump, the US Department of Homeland Security imposed a one-year ban on the issuance of new H-2A and H-2B visas to Filipinos from Jan. 19, 2019 to Jan. 18, 2020, citing overstaying and human trafficking concerns.