Rebooting our relations with the US
The six-day firefight in Butig, Lanao del Sur between the military and the Maute Group has devastated the town and displaced residents. But while the Armed Forces has recaptured the area, members of the terrorist group have vowed retribution, promising to behead their enemies including the President. Last June, the military successfully flushed out elements of the Maute Group but obviously, they managed to regroup, with the Maute brothers Omar and Abdullah having reportedly aligned with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or ISIS.
This potential terrorist alignment with the ISIS underscores even more the importance of maintaining our close relationship with the United States especially with the exchange of vital information. Over the years, intelligence information from the United States has proven to be critical in helping pinpoint terrorist strongholds in the country.
Even on the issue of illegal drugs, the US has been actively supporting our efforts, cooperating with Philippine authorities with many of the drug busts at the airport having come from tips provided by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Although there are apprehensions regarding diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States – which is quite understandable considering the strong rhetoric of President Duterte against the US in the past, plus the uncertainty triggered by the election of Donald Trump as the next US president – a reboot in diplomatic relations seems to be ready to go. The phone conversation last Friday night between President Duterte and president-elect Donald Trump is the perfect way to start.
Our man in the US tells us Trump and Duterte “noted the long history of friendship and cooperation between the two nations, and agreed that the two governments should continue to work together closely on matters of shared interest and concern.”
The brief phone call, which was described by the Palace as “very engaging and animated,” signals potentially warmer relations between our two countries. Things have been quite testy owing to President Duterte’s strong rhetoric against the US and Barack Obama over what he perceived was meddling on domestic issues. On the other hand, there has also been concern with Trump’s pronouncements about reviewing Obama policies, among them the “pivot to Asia” as well as immigration and outsourcing of jobs which could affect many Filipinos in the country.
I spoke to former US Ambassador to the Philippines and first ever Director of US National Intelligence John Negroponte during dinner the other night hosted by former Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario. John told me people at the State Department are also uncertain how diplomacy will be conducted under a Trump administration since the US president-elect has also been unorthodox in his approach. According to Negroponte, being in Washington will be an interesting and cerebrally challenging time.
As I mentioned to Karen Davila during her program “Headstart” aired on the ANC news channel last Thursday, a good headway in the relationship would be for President Trump and President Duterte to meet as early as April next year for the ASEAN, which will be hosted by the Philippines. I am told reciprocal invitations were made for a visit by both leaders.
The arrival of the new US Ambassador, Sung Kim, is also opportune and should augur well since, as I said, he is the first line of official communication between President Duterte and the United States.
I am certain Ambassador Kim, a career diplomat, has been briefed extensively by his staff in the embassy – well aware of the current situation and will do well as far as understanding where the Duterte administration is coming from on many issues. As the new ambassador said, the relationship between the United States and the Philippines has been one of the most enduring, with so many important dimensions that also come with it.
Admittedly, there is the great possibility that diplomatic relations will have a slightly different tone, especially since President Duterte would also like to have stronger ties with other countries such as China and Russia. But as far as military relations are concerned, I agree with many that the alliance between the Philippines and the US is crucial for security especially in this region. I’m pretty sure president-elect Trump has also been briefed during his intelligence briefing with the US military and the CIA about the critical importance of the areas where the presence of the US is required.
Our agreements such as the EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) can be scaled down to a certain level that could potentially be manageable. Cancelling EDCA completely is unwise because it has been, and will be, beneficial to our security down the road, not to mention the disaster and humanitarian component which is included in the agreement.
Having had the opportunity to interact with the president during his visit to Japan, there is no doubt he has a clear vision of where he wants to take our country. During his meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the latter had impressed upon the president that the relationship with the US is important for the region.
I must admit Karen Davila’s ANC program is one of the most widely watched judging from the numerous text and email messages I received. I must commend Karen for the excellent work she has been doing as a broadcast journalist, proving to be one of the best with the insightful and incisive questions she asks from her guests.
Like I told Karen and her TV audience – any nation in the world, no matter how small, whether friend or foe, should consider the United States as an important country to have to deal with.
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