Harris visit meant to ensure peace in the region —envoy
MANILA — United States Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to the Philippines is meant to ensure peace in the Asia-Pacific region, the country’s top diplomat in Washington said yesterday.
According to the Philippine Ambassador to the US, Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez, Harris’ visit also meant Washington is “seriously behind” Manila in its territorial dispute against China in the South China Sea (SCS).
“All of this tells us that there is a strong commitment now for all of us to make sure that there is freedom of navigation, to make our maritime security safe, and that there will be peace in our region,” Romualdez told ANC.
“All members of the ASEAN [Association of
Southeast Asian Nations] welcome the presence of the US in this part of the world and their commitment to make sure the area remains peaceful,” he added.
Amid tensions in the SCS, Romualdez said the Philippine government has been “extremely patient.”
“But you know, in Filipino, patience also has its limits. Filipinos will rise up and say enough is enough,” he said.
Romualdez said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. had “vowed not to give up one inch of our territorial waters.”
“If our allies like the United States will help us, of course, we welcome it,” he said.
Harris has reaffirmed the US’ “unwavering” commitment to defend the Philippines if its vessels or aircraft were attacked in the SCS.
Harris is the highestranking US official to visit Manila since Marcos took power in June, signaling a growing rapport between the longtime allies after years of frosty relations under his Beijing-friendly predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.
“We stand with you in defense of international rules and norms as it relates to the SCS,” Harris told Marcos at the start of talks in Malacañang.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire SCS, and has ignored an international court ruling that its claims have no legal basis.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have overlapping claims to parts of it. (ABS-CBN News, with a report from Agence FrancePresse)