MANILA, Philippines - The United States is committed to a strong partnership and alliance with the Philippines, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a press conference shortly after her arrival yesterday for a two-day visit.
US State Secretary Hillary Clinton is welcomed by students of Malanday High School in Marikina City yesterday. Clinton announced an additional $5.2 million in disaster relief and recovery assistance to the Philippines during her visit to the school. Inset shows Clinton being congratulated by President Arroyo after being conferred the Order of Sikatuna at Malacañang last night. Val Rodriguez
“I am here today to reaffirm that commitment,” Clinton said as she also defended the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which she described as “an important expression of our partnership.”
She said the VFA is based on mutual respect and interest, citing the relief and rehabilitation efforts undertaken by US servicemen after the onslaught of tropical storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng” in late September and last month.
“I am proud with what our service members have done to respond to the devastating storms and the floods,” she said.
While she did not say if the VFA was discussed in her meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Clinton cited the need for cooperation in security and military matters, particularly in the fight against terrorism.
There was no official word either from the Philippine government on whether the VFA issue had been raised by Clinton.
Ambassador Kristie Kenney said on Wednesday that the VFA would not be on the agenda in Clinton’s meeting with Philippine officials.
Kenney said Clinton did not intend to discuss specific agreements of the US with the Philippines, including the VFA.
Militant groups calling for a review or scrapping of the VFA said the visit of Clinton to Manila is an opportunity for them to deliver the message to the US government to revisit the VFA.
“Let me say I do not discuss military decisions. That is more appropriately worked out between our governments and militaries but I will just reiterate that the US stands ready to assist our friends in the Philippines who are seeking to counter terrorism and radical extremism,” Clinton said when asked about the future of US forces in Mindanao.
“And we will be willing to support them in any way that is appropriate, but the relationship between our countries and between our militaries is very strong and cooperative and we look forward to continuing that,” she added.
Clinton also revealed that the US government is heartened by the ceasefire between the Philippine government and the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“We are encouraged by the ceasefire and the report that I received today about the negotiating effort is very promising, so we will wish the very best to those who are attempting to bring (an end) to the conflict and to support you in any way that is appropriate,” she said.
Clinton said the US and the international community stand ready to assist the Philippine government in the Mindanao peace process but stressed “this is ultimately up to the Filipinos and the government leadership.”
For his part, Romulo emphasized that US forces are in the country to assist, advise and train their Philippine counterparts.
“It is limited to that,” he said. “As far as combat role, that is purely Filipino. On the other hand, in addition to assisting and advising, socio-civic and humanitarian aspect of the undertaking and the humanitarian aspect came out in Ketsana (Ondoy) and Parma (Pepeng) when they deployed military personnel,” he said. “I think it worked well for us.”
Even as protests greeted Clinton’s visit, a senior State Department official said most Filipinos supported military ties with the United States.
“I’m not overly concerned by these calls,” the official, on condition of anonymity, told reporters Wednesday during Clinton’s visit to Singapore for talks with Asia Pacific foreign ministers.
“You hear them periodically in the Philippines but I think the broad trend is to support deeper mil-to-mil (military-to-military) engagement between the two countries,” the official said.
Ahead of the visit, the Philippine foreign department also issued a statement reiterating its commitment to the military cooperation.
“The Philippine government believes that the Philippines-United States Visiting Forces Agreement is indispensable to the nation’s security,” the statement said.
The State Department official said Clinton wanted to show a “strong commitment” to the Philippines in its fight against extremists, but it would be up to the new US Pacific commander, Admiral Robert Willard, to study strategies.
Authorities in the Philippines say the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf’s numbers have fallen to about 300 to 400 from about 1,000 eight years ago, when the US Special Forces arrived to begin training the Filipino military.
Analysts say US intelligence and weaponry helped Filipino soldiers capture or kill the main leaders of the Abu Sayyaf early in the mission.
But they said younger, more radical rebels had taken their place, as evidenced by persistent violence in some parts of Mindanao where the Abu Sayyaf are based and have support from local Muslim communities.
Clashes in Mindanao since the start of the year have left 48 Filipino soldiers and at least 70 Abu Sayyaf militants dead, according to a tally by AFP based on authorities’ reports.
Highlighting their ability to defy the military campaign, the Abu Sayyaf on Monday dumped the severed head of a local school principal they kidnapped in October in Jolo.
In September, two US soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb on Jolo in the deadliest attack by the Abu Sayyaf on the American contingent.
“We have seen both dangerous attacks and kidnappings and the situation is still quite difficult on the ground,” the US official said.
“There are indications that certain tactics and strategies that have been perfected in Iraq and elsewhere are tried in other theaters and we see some of that playing out in Mindanao and in other parts of the Philippines,” he said.
Insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan have often resorted to roadside bombs to deadly effect against US and allied troops.
The last trip to the Philippines by a US secretary of state occurred in 2002 when Colin Powell visited.
Help for disaster victims
Clinton, meanwhile, announced an additional $5.2 million in disaster relief and recovery assistance to the Philippines.
Speaking at the Malanday High School in Marikina City, Clinton said the additional assistance is intended to address vital education, water and sanitation, health, and disaster preparedness needs.
These funds are in addition to the more than $14 million in rescue and relief aid that the US government has already provided in response to the destructive storms that devastated many parts of Luzon in the last six weeks.
The US State Department said the official purpose of the trip was for Clinton to show US solidarity with disaster victims.
Marikina is one of the areas hardest hit by the floods. Malanday High School lies next to the Marikina River, which overflowed and inundated many parts of the city.
In her Marikina visit, Clinton, along with Kenney, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, and Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando, opened a book fair. The American Brother’s Brother Foundation, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), donated 50,000 books to Malanday High School. USAID has also donated desks and ceiling fans to the school.
Last weekend over 100 US embassy employees and family members worked side by side with Malanday community members to repair the school and health clinic as part of the embassy’s Community Partnership Program.
Protests
Police yesterday had their hands full as militant groups came out in full force to denounce the alleged US meddling in local affairs. The militant groups also demanded the abrogation of the VFA.
Sanlakas, National Union of Students of the Philippines, the Scrap VFA! Movement, and the League of Filipino Students tried to march to the US embassy and Malacañang Palace but were blocked by anti-riot policemen.
The marchers were allowed to hold their programs at Plaza Ferguson across the US embassy in Ermita.
After a brief tussle with the police, the activists burned pictures of Clinton as well as US flags while chanting anti-US slogans.
Sanlakas spokesperson Rasti Delizo said the visit of Clinton “exposes Washington’s clear imperialist agenda to firmly ensure Gloria’s state policy to allow US military forces to remain on Philippine soil in clear violation of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.” With Nestor Etolle, Rudy Santos, James Mananghaya
By Pia Lee-Brago
The Philippine Star
Updated November 13, 2009 12:00 AM