US bipartisan support for the Philippines

There is no doubt that we enjoy a strong bipartisan support from the US Congress and generally from most Americans. Ever since I presented my credentials to then president Donald J. Trump in November of 2017, I can say with certainty that we have been able to build strong relationships with both Republicans and Democrats.

As fate would have it, I was appointed as Philippine Ambassador in July 2017 and during my first two years in Washington, I had the opportunity to interact with most of those who worked with president Trump, among them Ambassador Robert O’Brien who served as the National Security Advisor during the latter part of the Trump administration, along with several members of the National Security Council at the time. Ambassador O’Brien also happens to be the chairman of the Richard Nixon Foundation where he invited me to a recent special exhibit titled “Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors” that featured portraits by former president George W. Bush, who was guest of honor.

I met a number of Republicans during that occasion, most of whom will most likely be going back to serve in the event of a Trump victory. I was assured that the foreign policy of the United States will very likely remain the same as far as the Indo-Pacific region is concerned. Perhaps an early indication is the speech of the Republican vice presidential candidate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, who called for more focus on China, which he described early on as the “real issue” and the “biggest threat” to the United States.

Like us, other ASEAN member-countries believe America’s continued presence in the Indo-Pacific region is crucial in maintaining stability and upholding peace and security – a sentiment shared by many nations such as Japan, Australia, Great Britain and Canada.

The recent assassination attempt against former US president Donald Trump was met with a lot of shock, especially because it happened in Butler, a rural county in Pennsylvania known for being a Republican stronghold. But what could have been total chaos turned into stunned disbelief when the former president, with blood streaming down his right cheek – stood up, raised his fist, shouting “Fight!”

Political pundits say that this narrow escape from death by an assassin’s bullet, captured in the iconic photo showing the former president in that defiant pose surrounded by Secret Service agents, with the American flag unfurled just above and a bright blue sky as a backdrop, has provided the Republicans with a strong narrative, possibly giving them the edge towards victory.

Not surprisingly, there seems to be a deluge of anxiety among the Democrats who are still dealing with the fallout from the first presidential debate. Despite succeeding media appearances, including a press conference by the president, a lot of Americans are beginning to see that the Republicans may have the upper hand. Calls for President Biden to step down from the race are coming from Democratic leaders, which sources say include former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The clamor seems to be intensifying after the shooting in Butler and now, the president has been infected with Covid-19.

According to the latest poll conducted by CBS News, former president Trump is shown with 52 percent or a five percent national lead against President Biden’s 47 percent. “Trump is up five points nationally now, and three across the key battleground states. To put that national lead in context: it’s been 20 years since a Republican presidential candidate has won the national popular vote, and over 30 years since a Republican won by more than five,” CBS News said.

Many nations across Europe and Asia and, of course, the Philippines, are keenly watching these developments leading up to the US elections on Nov. 5, with many pondering the consequences or impact of a Trump presidency.

Meanwhile in our country, it’s so absurd and preposterous for some people to claim that businessmen are pulling out their money out of fear over the situation with China. On the contrary, more businesses are coming into the Philippines precisely because of the country’s renewed relations with the Western world, including the United States. In New Clark City alone, investment commitments have reached over P143 billion with P15.9 billion already actual investments while P127.3 billion is in the pipeline, according to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

In fact, we see more and more of our friends in the US Congress and particularly those working in Washington, DC expressing their bipartisan support for the Philippines, like the proposed bill by Republican Senator Bill Hagerty and Democratic Senator Tim Kaine that would provide the Philippines $2.5 billion or $500 million every year in Foreign Military Financing from 2025 to 2029 to boost the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the wake of Chinese aggression.

The June 17 incident in Ayungin Shoal has also prompted Republican Senators Roger Wicker and Jim Risch, ranking members of the Senate armed services committee and Senate foreign relations committee, to write to President Joe Biden saying the US must respond “with visible and concrete demonstrations” of support. The senators also asked for a “full list of military, diplomatic and economic options from the Department of Defense and Department of State to deter further Chinese aggression.”

One thing is clear: regardless of who is in the Oval Office, the relationship between the Philippines and the United States will remain strong and stable because of our many shared values and most of all – the deep people-to-people ties that have always been the biggest hallmark of our relationship.

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