Phl pays tribute to true friend, champion.

The Philippines yesterday paid tribute to US Sen. John McCain, saying the country “lost a true friend and champion with his passing.”

“We deeply mourn the death of Sen. John McCain, a true friend of the Philippines and one of our champions in the United States Congress,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

“The Filipino people extend their deepest condolences to Senator McCain’s family and to the people of the United States of America,” he said.

Cayetano said the Filipinos will remember the 81-year-old Republican legislator for translating America’s commitment into action and for playing a vital role in keeping the alliance strong and capable to address current strategic challenges.

“Senator McCain’s support for the Mindanao peace process also exemplified his humanitarian spirit and his lifelong dedication to the cause of peace and justice,” he said.

In meetings with Philippine officials, McCain discussed the challenges confronting Manila and Washington and how the partnership can be further strengthened to address nontraditional security concerns, such as drug trafficking and violent extremism.

McCain shared his family’s history and affinity with the Philippines.

McCain’s grandfather served in the Philippines during the American occupation and the Second World War while his father, who became a Navy admiral, also saw action in the Philippines and was a recipient of the Legion of Honor.

McCain was in Subic as a young Navy aviator serving in Vietnam and transited through Clark Air Base after his release as prisoner of war.

When the Permanent Court of Arbitration took up the case against China’s vast claims in the South China Sea, McCain described China as a bully that demanded the silence of regional and global states.

He said China has maneuvered toward a policy of intimidation and coercion in support of its objective, a development that dramatically accelerated under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.

During a visit to Manila in January 2012, American lawmakers led by McCain underscored the need to strengthen the Philippine military and expand US military presence in the Asia Pacific and its waters for peace and stability in the region.

McCain said the attention of the world economy is shifting in Asia with the Philippines as one of the major leaders in the region.

The lawmakers stressed the US commitment to work cooperatively to build up the militaries of its allies in the Asia-Pacific region.

They opposed exercise of disproportionate control by China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).