Some thoughts on Duterte’s ‘US separation’ announcement
I remember writing about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte several months ago when he won the presidential election. I may or may have not said something about being 100 percent in favor of everything he says but I definitely remember expressing my admiration of the latter’s love for his parents (as shown in a video of the president sobbing over his parents’ grave).
As I wrote in that article, I noticed such sentimentality in the Philippine president. Even his bold remarks show his emotional side and – as I’ve observed lately – his entire way of thinking.
In a state visit to Beijing, the Philippine president announced his military and economic “separation” from the United States.
“America has lost now. I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow,” he told business leaders in Beijing on Thursday, October 20. “And maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way.”
The strong statement could’ve been explained clearly but the president failed to provide details about how he’d break away from the United States or what it would mean for the Filipinos and the U.S. government. Because of that, different reactions are coming from all sides – majority being more ‘opposed’ than in agreement.
Reports indicate that about 1,000 anti-U.S. protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila calling for the removal of U.S. troops from the southern island of Mindanao. As the standoff escalated, the local police ran over protesters who were preparing to storm the embassy.
As a result of this dramatic collapse in U.S.-Philippine relations, the next U.S. president will have his or her hands full with not only the rapidly escalation standoff between Russia and the U.S. in Syria, with mending relations with one of the oldest U.S. allies in the Pacific rim.
In a different article, it was reported that U.S. officials stressed the long history of diplomatic, military and financial ties between the two countries.
Neil Jerome Morales of Reuters wrote in his article: “Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday he was not severing ties with his country’s long-time ally the United States, but merely pursuing a more independent foreign policy by strengthening relations with China. A day after he provoked fresh diplomatic alarm by announcing his ‘separation’ from Washington, Duterte struck a more conciliatory tone as he arrived back in the Philippines after a four-day visit to Beijing.”
“It is not severance of ties. When you say severance of ties, you cut diplomatic relations. I cannot do that,” the Philippine leader told reporters at a midnight news conference in his southern home city of Davao. “It’s in the best interest of my countrymen to maintain that relationship.”
The Philippine president clarified his comments on Friday and said that what he meant was that Manila’s foreign policy need not always rely with Washington.
“As in separation, what I was really saying was separation of foreign policy,” he said. “In the past, and until I became president, we always follow what the United States would give the cue,” he said.
The White House had responded to the “separation” speech by saying there had been “too many” troubling statements from Duterte recently.
Meanwhile, earlier officials in Manila had a lot of explaining to do about the president’s controversial announcement.
“In terms of economic (ties), we are not stopping trade, investment with America,” Trade Minister Ramon Lopez told CNN Philippines. He said the Philippines was “breaking being too much dependent on one side.”
In the same interview, Duterte’s spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said the president had been making a “restatement” of his bid to chart an independent foreign policy.
Duterte wanted to “separate the nation from dependence on the U.S. and the West, and rebalance economic and military relations with Asian neighbors” like China, Japan and South Korea, Abella said in statement.
As with most of what Duterte said in the past, misinterpretations have been thrown from different sectors. I think that is a given considering how the president seems to say something else but mean another.
I believe it would help if he would provide more details whenever he announces something as bold as a ‘separation’ – especially when it involves international alliance – one that has been around for decades.
Coming from someone who’s been living in the United States for sometime, it brings me more confusion than clarity and ‘independence’ to think that ‘breaking ties’ with the U.S. is the right course of action. I could be wrong but I’m convinced that I am NOT the only one who sees this as unnecessary.
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Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at [email protected].
