In the recent state visit of President Duterte to China, he announced the “separation” of the Philippines from the US, particularly in the military and economics. This statement gained negative reactions from Filipinos here and abroad. While the President has been criticized many times for his troubling rhetoric that somehow tarnishes the good relationship between the Philippines and the US, the announcement of separation prompted the US to seek clarification of the President’s statement.
President Duterte clarified what he meant when he announced the “separation” of the Philippines from the US. The President explained that this didn’t mean severance of ties or cutting of diplomatic relations. We all wait to see exactly how this will play out.
I agree that the President should maintain ties with the US, primarily because many Filipinos live in the US. In fact, almost every Filipino family has relatives who work or live in the US. Prior to the elections, surveys showed that President Duterte’s voters comprises 37 percent of the Class ABC, which is around 4-10 percent of the population. This phenomenon was said to be “elite-driven,” a product of the protests of the new middle class: BPO workers, OFWs, and even Uber drivers. The IT-BPO industry currently employs more than a million Filipinos and contributes to almost 10 percent of the GDP, next to the OFW remittances. Furthermore, 77 percent of the Philippines’ BPO export is for US-based companies. We can assume the adverse effects should the Philippines cut diplomatic ties with one of its strongest alliances, the United States of America.
I understand that the President’s move with China means pursuing bilateral consultations and mutual beneficial cooperation. However, he must not neglect the American-Philippine relations that spanned for more than 70 years. As the US promised to honor its alliance commitments and treaty obligations with the Philippines, we should do the same. While the President wants to break away from our dependency on the US, it is necessary to strengthen our ties with them, especially after a few conflicts that resulted from the bold remarks by the President towards the US since he assumed position.
The Philippine Economic Team reiterated that, “we will maintain relations with the West, but we desire stronger integration with our neighbors.” I believe that the desire to strengthen our ties with China, Russia, and other Asean countries, should also be of the same level of desire to strengthen our ties with the US, EU, and other countries of the world.
The Philippines is one of the most progressive nations in the world. While we seek independence, our nation requires healthy relations with the biggest nations. Our ties must remain intact. The President’s statement, “the three [Philippines, China, and Russia] of us against the world,” polarized opinions and sentiments against the President, both domestically and globally. I certainly hope we see a President whose future statements in the area of foreign relations will communicate his strength and firmness, in a tactful way.