US GOVERNMENT spokesmen continued to reaffirm their country’s historic ties with the Philippines, even on the heels of fresh insults hurled by President Rodrigo R. Duterte at his American counterpart, Barack H. Obama, and at the United States as well as the European Union.
Meanwhile -- amid the latest presidential insults in Manila on Tuesday -- the White House, on its Web site and in a “special” message signed by Mr. Obama, marked Filipino American History Month this October, “recognizing Filipino Americans across our country for the many ways they have enriched our society.”
‘GREEN CARDS’
Mr. Obama in his message dated Oct. 1 also said in part: “This year, my administration launched the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program, which enables certain Filipino-American veterans to request that their family members join them in the United States as they wait for their green cards.”
“For many, this policy will allow loved ones to provide support and care for elderly veterans and their spouses.”
At the White House on Tuesday, Press Secretary Josh Earnest noted the variety of ways in which the United States and the United States military [have] benefitted the Filipino people, citing, for example, additional “resources to their maritime security efforts.”
At the White House on Tuesday, Press Secretary Josh Earnest noted the variety of ways in which the United States and the United States military [have] benefitted the Filipino people, citing, for example, additional “resources to their maritime security efforts.”
“The United States military was also instrumental in helping to mobilize a response to a deadly typhoon in the Pacific Ocean in the last couple years -- a response that certainly was instrumental to meeting the needs of thousands of Filipinos who had been negatively affected by this devastating storm,” Mr. Earnest said.
“So that’s the kind of relationship I think that you would expect between two treaty allies. And it’s the kind of relationship that has the United States being held in quite high regard by the Filipino people,” he added.
Mr. Earnest was responding to questions that kicked off his press briefing about Mr. Duterte’s remarks on Tuesday.
At a forum on local governance and before Manila’s Jewish community marking the Jewish New Year, Mr. Duterte renewed his attacks on the US State Department and on Mr. Obama, saying “you can go to hell.” He again denounced the “hypocrisy of the European -- EU and America and Obama,” adding that he “will break up with America.”
“I am very emotional because America has certainly failed us. Instead of being a friend, it’s their election time and they just, you know, go ahead and talk, reprimand another president in front of the international -- is that good?” Mr. Duterte also said.
On the other hand, Mr. Duterte was emphatic in his apologies to the Jewish community, following what he described as “a classic faux pas” last Friday, when he likened his government’s war on drugs to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s genocide of the Jews.
‘CREATIVE IMAGINATION’
“So that’s the kind of relationship I think that you would expect between two treaty allies. And it’s the kind of relationship that has the United States being held in quite high regard by the Filipino people,” he added.
Mr. Earnest was responding to questions that kicked off his press briefing about Mr. Duterte’s remarks on Tuesday.
At a forum on local governance and before Manila’s Jewish community marking the Jewish New Year, Mr. Duterte renewed his attacks on the US State Department and on Mr. Obama, saying “you can go to hell.” He again denounced the “hypocrisy of the European -- EU and America and Obama,” adding that he “will break up with America.”
“I am very emotional because America has certainly failed us. Instead of being a friend, it’s their election time and they just, you know, go ahead and talk, reprimand another president in front of the international -- is that good?” Mr. Duterte also said.
On the other hand, Mr. Duterte was emphatic in his apologies to the Jewish community, following what he described as “a classic faux pas” last Friday, when he likened his government’s war on drugs to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s genocide of the Jews.
‘CREATIVE IMAGINATION’
The next day, his spokesman Ernesto C. Abella was again endeavoring to clarify Mr. Duterte’s remarks, even appealing to the press: “intindihin natin ang konteksto ng pagkakasalita niya, okay (Let’s understand the context of what he says, okay).”
He also urged the press to “try to use our creative imagination, okay. Huwag tayo masyadong tayong literal (Let’s not be too literal).”
But at the White House and at the US State Department, reporters were pressing the spokesmen of both these offices for comments on the “increasing hostility from President Duterte” toward Washington, as one reporter put it.
Mr. Earnest, when asked about Mr. Duterte’s “threat to end the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement,” as the question went, said: “Well, as it relates to the defense agreement, it’s, of course, a binding one, and there’s a formal process for withdrawing from it or changing it, and I’m not aware that that process has commenced in any way.”
For his part, Deputy Spokesperson Mark C. Toner of the State Department said: “we’ve spoken to this kind of rhetoric,” adding that “we’re a treaty ally of the Philippines and also that we have the strong cultural bond, people-to-people bond, [so] we’re going to continue [in relations with the Philippines].”
“We’ve got a lot of patience,” Mr. Toner also said.
But he also added that “no one’s giving any head of state a free pass on unhelpful rhetoric,” and that “whenever we see or hear of credible allegations of human rights abuses, we’re never going to give that a pass.”
Amid the controversy following Mr. Duterte’s remarks, the US Embassy in Manila issued a statement on Wednesday that said: “Congratulations to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and member agencies of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group on the arrest of Jonjon Villamin, Jr. for attempting to smuggle 4.4 kilograms of cocaine into the Philippines.”
“We are especially pleased that information from the US Embassy’s Drug Enforcement Administration Office was instrumental in making this arrest, a testament to our longstanding bilateral counternarcotics and law enforcement coordination,” the statement also said.
LOQUACITY
“We’ve got a lot of patience,” Mr. Toner also said.
But he also added that “no one’s giving any head of state a free pass on unhelpful rhetoric,” and that “whenever we see or hear of credible allegations of human rights abuses, we’re never going to give that a pass.”
Amid the controversy following Mr. Duterte’s remarks, the US Embassy in Manila issued a statement on Wednesday that said: “Congratulations to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and member agencies of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group on the arrest of Jonjon Villamin, Jr. for attempting to smuggle 4.4 kilograms of cocaine into the Philippines.”
“We are especially pleased that information from the US Embassy’s Drug Enforcement Administration Office was instrumental in making this arrest, a testament to our longstanding bilateral counternarcotics and law enforcement coordination,” the statement also said.
LOQUACITY
For her part, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo in a news conference on Wednesday cautioned Mr. Duterte to be more “deliberate” in his remarks. “[B]aka makakatulong na mas deliberate... Mas pinag-iisipan bago nagsasalita (Maybe it will help if one were deliberate... giving [something] more thought before speaking).”
Senators sought for comment on Mr. Duterte’s latest remarks expressed concern on its implications.
“Be careful how you speak, because you are the president. Your statement[s] are [the] statement of this country,” said Senator Richard J. Gordon, who along with other senators had earlier cautioned Mr. Duterte about his loquacity.
“These are unnecessary comments, ’yung go to hell. For what? Pero ang (But the) impact sa kabilang (to the other) party, masyadong matindi (will be great),” said Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, Sr. adding, “And kung ayaw n’ya mag-shut ng mouth (if he doesn’t want to shut his mouth), it’s up to him. And it seems hindi talaga siya tinatablan ng (he really cannot be persuaded by) advice.”
“We will all pay the price for this,” Senator Ralph G. Recto for his part said. “We’re preparing a resolution to seek clarity from the executive, where is our foreign policy headed?”
Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV said Mr. Duterte’s statements are putting Filipinos in the US “in an awkward position,” and they have to “justify... kung bakit ganun ’yung President (why the President is like this).”
Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III, on the other hand, said: “If the president’s style is bringing him difficulty, he should be feeling it right now. I’m sure he will make adjustments. Otherwise, let him be.”
“We should not be seen by the rest of the world to have an umbilical cord that is connected with the umbilical cord of the US,” the Senate leader added.
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