US-Philippines ties: Unshakable

The return of the Balangiga bells to the Philippines, after 117 years, has reinvigorated the friendship between the United States and the Philippines and, in fact, made the ties even stronger.

This was one of the core messages I gave to the Foreign Policy Discussion Group (FPDG) of Washington, D.C., a prestigious organization founded by Yale University alumni to promote greater understanding and awareness of foreign policy issues among members that include former and current government officials, lawyers, business sector representatives, bankers and academicians who are knowledgeable in foreign affairs.

I spoke about the Philippines’ foreign policy in a complicated world, outlining the importance of sovereignty and independence as pillars of our foreign policy under President Rodrigo Duterte.  The Philippines seeks to be a friend and partner to all, I stressed to the audience, explaining that we are working to establish closer relationships with diverse countries even as we continue to strengthen our traditional partnerships.

Many countries find themselves facing different realities today. And in today’s complicated world, leaders are required, if not compelled, to adjust their leadership styles and adopt policies that take into consideration the current global environment while being consistent with democratic and libertarian values.

Delivering remarks at the dinner hosted by the FPDG of Washington, D.C.

But even as the Philippines seeks new partnerships, the friendship between our two nations remains strong and stable. From the South China Sea to the proposed bilateral free trade agreement and down to the strong people-to-people ties anchored by the close to four million Filipino-Americans in the US, our relationship is robust and unshakable, I reassured the FPDG.

“We continue to build on and strengthen our deep and long friendship based on mutual respect and a strong alliance of two great nations. Filipinos and Americans alike continue to keep the fires of our friendship burning, both in times of war and in peace,” I told the FPDG members.

My good friend Ambassador John Maisto, president of the US-Philippines Society, was a special guest at the dinner and noted the shared values, enduring ties and the common interests between the US and the Philippines that we shared to the elite audience.

Thomas J. Reckford, president of the FPDG, disclosed that the event was the first one hosted by the group for 2019. “Ambassador Romualdez spoke about US-Philippine relations and cited the return of the Balangiga Bells as a heartwarming story that rights a century-old wrong. In a lively question and answer session, Ambassador Romualdez discussed many important issues, including the role of China in the South China Sea and the importance of ongoing trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing,” he commented.

It was an honor to be the first speaker of the year for the group, whose previous guests of honor include top level policy makers in the US government, officials from the White House, Departments of State and Defense, the CIA, the FBI, ambassadors from the Washington diplomatic corps, foreign leaders visiting the US, and many other prominent individuals. *