US congratulates Marcos, says ready to collaborate with new admin on rights
MANILA, Philippines — The United States Secretary of State congratulated presumptive president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and said it plans to work with the administration to protect human rights in the Philippines.
In a statement dated May 11, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Washington plans on continuing “to collaborate closely with the Philippines to promote respect for human rights and to advance a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific region.”
“Our special partnership is rooted in a long and deeply interwoven history, shared values and interests, and strong people-to-people ties,’ Blinken said.
Partial and unofficial results via the Commission on Elections’ transparency server show Marcos Jr. and his vice-president Sara Duterte-Carpio with massive leads of 16 million and 31 million respectively, against rival candidates for their respective posts.
“We commend the millions of Filipino voters who cast their ballots in this election, and we look forward to the official conclusion of the electoral process for the many offices in the national elections,” Blinken said.
However, how Marcos Jr. plans to foster a relationship with Washington as the country’s chief diplomat remains unclear.
He refused to work with the District Court of Hawaii in 1995 when his family was ordered to compensate the victims of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law era using the money they stole from the government.
Marcos Jr. is the son and namesake of a late despot, whose administration was notoriously known for corruption, the human rights violations committed under his rule along with widespread killings and the torture of those who were critical of his government.
Marcos Jr.’s spokesman Vic Rodriguez ignored a Rappler reporter when the question was raised in a press briefing held Wednesday.
Looking at the camera, Rodriguez instead says: “Next question.”
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