When Rody meets Donald

The country should watch with bated breath that exact moment when Rody meets Donald next month.

A warm bear hug or even just a firm handshake between President Duterte and US President Donald Trump would no doubt signal better relations between Manila and Washington, the country’s new ambassador to the US, Jose “Babe” Romualdez said in a recent dinner with some members of the diplomatic press corps.

A hug would be nice and if it happens, there is a possibility Duterte may visit the US in the succeeding months, the ambassador said.

And when that happens, the possibilities are endless.

What is clear, Ambassador Romualdez said, is that Washington wants to increase its trade with Manila.

Two-way trade between the two countries continues to grow. Last year, US exports to the Philippines increased nine percent to $8.3 billion, with top export categories including electrical machinery, machinery, cereals, aircraft and soybean flour, US government data showed.

Ambassador Romualdez will formally assume his post at the Philippine Embassy in Washington this month, but the veteran media guy already sounds like a veteran diplomat.

Now on the other side of the fence, he instantly became a darling of the press, gamely answering questions and dishing out juicy quotes over a dinner of steamed vegetables, fish and shrimps.

One thing he would like to accomplish, as the country’s envoy to the US, is to help strengthen military ties between the two countries amid rising global terrorism and the geopolitical conflict over the West Philippine Sea.

The bond between the US and the Philippines is “unbreakable” and even with previous diplomatic hiccups, the US is important for the country.

“We have no choice. If we are really to survive as a country, we have to have that relationship. We cannot just easily break. It’s very hard to break ties with the US,’ he said.

 “It’s something we cannot anymore undo at this time. If you do, it will take more than two generations. We are too tied in,” he said.

Romualdez is optimistic and hopeful that Trump’s visit could really help improve things, especially after Duterte last year lashed out at the US.

Duterte criticized the US government during the time of then-president Barack Obama for calling his attention over his bloody war against illegal drugs.

Since then, the President has vowed to realign the country’s foreign policy toward newer allies such as China and Russia, instead of the US.

And known for lashing out at his critics, Duterte said Obama could go to hell.

But an optimistic Ambassador Romualdez believes the rift is just temporary and will not break the long established bond with Washington.

“Almost all of us have relatives or friends in the United States. We are tied in with the US, so it’s hard to break that. It’s something that we cannot do at this time,” he said.

Optimistic as he is, he recognizes the challenges.

 “The biggest challenge we have really, which I hope to be able to address, is our defense.  What we hope to do in the next four years to bring our Armed Forces to a level that is acceptable. That is where the challenge is,” he said.

It would be ideal for the Philippines to get, for instance, the same support that Israel gets from the US.

“That to me is what we need at this time – when we can get the kind of support that Israel gets. Israel is the biggest (recipient), but something not so far from that,” Ambassador Romualdez said.

He believes US support for the country’s Armed Forces is even more important than the regular Millennium Challenge Fund.

“We want the real thing. We want to be able to defend ourselves,” he said.

The war in Marawi between military troops and ISIS-inspired militants, which erupted last May 23, is now on its fourth month.

“Marawi has played a major role and the Americans have been very helpful. The US now realizes that we are potentially a hotbed of ISIS,” Romualdez said.

Around 800 people, including many militants, have been killed during the fight and thousands of residents have been displaced.

On the issue of the West Philippine Sea, Romualdez believes the US can also help the Philippines in a big way.

“From the US, we are asking them, when we take up this matter with China, how far are they going to help us in terms of negotiating with China? It doesn’t really mean they will enlist a show of force, the military. We’re not asking them to fight the war because we will talk to the Chinese at some point, although I don’t know when,” he said.

Joint exploration with China is one possible way to address the issue, he said.

“That is the strategy that is being worked out. When it will happen, it all depends on the timing. President Duterte always talked about those two words – timing and calculation. Everything is about timing. There’s a time and place for us to be able to talk,” he said.

Indeed, there’s a lot of work to do, but he is counting on the first meeting to be fruitful.

 “I hope it will be a good meeting and if that happens, we’re home, free…I’m home free,” the new ambassador said in jest.

In reality, being ambassador to the US is definitely no mean feat, but Ambassador Babe, who has extensive background on US politics and who has a charismatic personality like the legendary American baseball player George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. whom he was named after, will no doubt successfully bridge the gap between the US and the Philippines.

I wish you the best of luck, Ambassador.

Iris Gonzales’s e-mail address is [email protected].