US Senator John McCain: A friend of the Philippines

The remains of US Senator John McCain lay in state at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Friday – an honor given to only a few statesmen requiring a resolution of Congress. The practice started in 1852 with only 30 other people since then who have lain in state at the Capitol, with the last one being Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye in 2012. On Saturday, Senator McCain was brought to the Washington National Cathedral – the “spiritual home” of America where state funerals and memorial services for occasions of national significance are held.

I was honored to represent our country at the funeral services at the US Capitol and also at the National Cathedral where eulogies were delivered by former US presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and notable Americans like former State Secretary Henry Kissinger.  

From Arizona where a memorial service at the State Capitol in Phoenix was held and then on to Washington, D.C., it was amazing to witness thousands of Americans showing up to pay their last respects to the longtime Arizona senator who succumbed to brain cancer last August 25. But millions more are mourning the loss of this real-life Vietnam War hero whose story of courage, sacrifice and principled leadership has earned him the esteem and admiration of people across many nations.

He was born into a family of patriots who served in the US military. His grandfather, John “Slew” McCain Sr. and father, John “Jack” McCain Jr. were both 4-star admirals – the first father and son to have achieved such distinction. Slew McCain served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, seeing action in Guadalcanal and directing the US campaign during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Okinawa, causing tremendous destruction against Japanese forces.

Last May, I visited the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii for a high-level meeting, and one of the things pointed out to me when we went to the Admiral’s landing area before we proceeded to the USS Arizona Memorial were several photos. One of them showed the formal surrender of Japan on board USS Missouri with General Douglas McArthur and Vice Admiral John McCain Sr. who was not feeling well at the time, but made sure he was present to witness that historic moment.  

Senator McCain followed the family’s calling, and lived true to the US Navy motto of “Semper Fortis” (always courageous), demonstrating the meaning of “non sibi sed patriae” – not for ourselves but for our country. For he was captured by the North Vietnamese in October 1967 and spent five-and-a-half years in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” as a prisoner of war.  The North Vietnamese had wanted to release McCain as early as 1968 after they discovered that his father was the commander-in-chief of all US forces in the Pacific. But the young POW refused, sticking to the US Armed Forces’ Code of Conduct that prisoners of war should not accept special favors from captors, saying that he had no right to be released ahead of others who had been in captivity longer.

McCain was finally freed in March 1973 following the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, and arrived at Clark Air Base for debriefing and recovery before going home to the US. It wasn’t the first time he set foot in the Philippines, having spent some time in Subic as a young Navy aviator before his capture, and it certainly wasn’t the last because he visited the country in 2012 as part of a US Congressional delegation.

Many Filipinos including war veterans consider him as a reliable and solid ally of the Philippines – a country that McCain has since considered a strong ally, perhaps remembering that we sent an engineering battalion as well as medical teams, a security battalion and other elements to Vietnam in response to President Lyndon Johnson’s call for support from other nations under the “many flags” program during the Vietnam War.

“When it comes to fulfilling our obligations and expanding our military cooperation under the Mutual Defense Treaty, America’s commitment is unshakable and Republicans and Democrats stand together with the Philippines,” John McCain had said, also exhorting the US to continue supporting its allies and partners with regard to the growing assertiveness of China on the issue of disputed maritime territories, even urging the US to challenge China if it declares an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by flying US military aircraft in the affected area, and launching a vigorous “freedom of the seas campaign.”

In fact, shortly after becoming Foreign Affairs Secretary, Alan Peter Cayetano visited Washington, D.C. and had a chance to meet Senator McCain in Capitol Hill, with the latter expressing concern about the Philippines and the issues it was facing including human rights. He understood our problem but at the same time, also tried one way or the other to help the American public understand the whole picture. In short, he was genuinely concerned about the Philippines and wanted the alliance with the US to remain strong and solid.

As Secretary Cayetano had said, he was a true friend of the Philippines and one of our champions in the US Congress. I myself will always be grateful to Senator McCain for recognizing the contributions of this relationship towards peace, stability and prosperity for both countries and beyond.

As Americans continue to mourn, many people cannot help but wonder what it would have been like if Senator John McCain had become the 44th US president in 2008. Many say he would have been an outstanding world leader.

*      *      *

Email: [email protected].