US Deputy Secretary of State Sherman assures PHL President-elect of commitment towards stronger US-PHL ties
(Eagle News) — The United States government is interested with working with President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in “preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region” and further advancing human rights in the country, aside from deepening the US-Philippine alliance.
During the visit of US Deputy Secretary of States Wendy Sherman to congratulate the next Philippine president, the US official relayed the US government’s commitment to further deepen the bilateral ties and alliance between the US and the Philippines.
“I was pleased to meet and congratulate President-elect Marcos. We discussed strengthening our longstanding alliance, expanding people-to-people ties, deepening our economic relationship, advancing human rights, and preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Sherman said in a tweet after the meeting on Thursday, June 9.
I was pleased to meet and congratulate President-elect Marcos. We discussed strengthening our longstanding alliance, expanding people-to-people ties, deepening our economic relationship, advancing human rights, and preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/hXzwA7njae
— Wendy R. Sherman (@DeputySecState) June 9, 2022
-“Productive” meeting-
President-elect Marcos Jr., described the meeting as “productive.”
“With the longstanding alliance between the Philippines and the United States of America, we look forward to further expanding our people-to-people ties, economic relationships, and interest in clean energy,” he said in a Facebook post.
Sherman was accompanied by other officials of the U.S. State Department, the National Security Council and the U.S. Embassy in Manila when she visited President-elect Marcos Jr.
She assured the incoming Philippine leader of the United States’ commitment to work closely with his incoming administration particularly in areas of mutual interest such as in trade and investments, climate change, pandemic response and in technology.
The two sides also expressed their strong desire to maintain peace and promote prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Secretary Sherman is the highest ranking State Department official to visit the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Deputy Secretary is visiting the Philippines for the first time, as part of a series of visits to the region.
-Farewell call on DFA Sec. Locsin-
The US official also made a farewall call to the outgoing Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. after her visit to Marcos Jr., on Thursday, June 9.
She thanked Locsin for his “significant contributions to the Philippine-United States alliance, especially in light of the restoration of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in July 2021.”
The outgoing DFA chief welcomed the US government’s reaffirmation of its commitment to the alliance with the Philippines.
-US commited to help PHL meet defense modernization goals-
According to a DFA release, Deputy Secretary Sherman said that the US remains committed in helping the Philippines to meet its “defense modernization goals and address the daunting regional and global challenges (that) both countries face.”
Sherman likewise “committed to support the Philippines’ economic recovery efforts, including its transition to clean energy and digitalization.”
The United States remains an important and strategic trading and investment partner of the Philippines, it said.
-Protecting democracy and human rights-
“Both sides also agreed to engage constructively on protecting democracy and human rights at home and abroad,” the DFA said.
Outgoing Foreign affairs Secretary Locsin reiterated the Philippines’ invitation for the U.S. to support the three-year UN Joint Program on Human Rights (2021-2024), which demonstrates the highest level of the Philippines’ commitment to inclusive partnerships and continuing reforms in the areas of human rights, accountability and rule of law, and to investing in the capacity-strengthening of national institutions.
President-elect Marcos Jr., has not yet named the person he wants to be the DFA chief under his administration.
-Marcos names 2 more cabinet members-
On Wednesday, June 8, he announced the two latest addition to what will be his cabinet once he assumes office.
They are retired University of the Philippines (UP) Prof. Clarita Carlos as National Security Adviser, and ABONO party-list Rep. Conrado Estrella III as the next Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) secretary.
Both Carlos and Estrella had already accepted the offer, according to the Marcos camp.
(Eagle News Service)
