‘Obama optimistic Philippines-US ties will improve under Trump’

LIMA – Compliment or snide remark?

Outgoing United States President Barack Obama expects a “better and stronger” relationship between Manila and Washington under his successor Donald Trump because of the businessman’s similarities with President Duterte, a Cabinet official said.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said here Monday Obama had told him that Duterte and Trump seemed to have “the same kind of temperament.”

“My response to him was ‘well, I hope so’,” Yasay told reporters. 

It was not clear when Obama relayed the message to Yasay. The two, however, had opportunities to talk during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gala dinner and the traditional photo shoot of APEC leaders – events that Duterte missed reportedly because of jet lag.

Trump defied expectations and humiliated pundits and pollsters when he defeated former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in an election that observers said was rife with unprecedented mudslinging and personal attacks.

Duterte has been labeled as the Philippines’ Trump because both of them are known for their tough talk and their fondness for political hyperbole, qualities that catapulted them to election victories.

Duterte, for instance, has assailed the US, the European Union and the United Nations for calling him out on his anti-drug war. He also slammed the Catholic Church for its supposed “hypocrisy” and asked supporters to kill those into illegal drugs.

Trump, meanwhile, did not mince words in assailing illegal immigrants, Muslims and journalists who were critical of him. He was more sober though after winning the elections and vowed to be the president of all Americans.

Yasay believes the issues surrounding the relationship between the Philippines and the US are “more fundamental than personalities involved.”

“We want to convey our message to America that our relationship can be stronger if there will be a reevaluation and readjustments of our relationship where this time, dependency will not be allowed. That is more fundamental,” the foreign affairs chief said.

Yasay said Obama did not have a message for Duterte, who had been hurling tirades against the American leader for supposedly interfering in the Philippines’ affairs, including the crackdown on illegal drugs.

“But he (Obama) was really saying something that, to my mind, was forward looking. Perhaps he saw that our relationship has been strained only with the leaders involved. But with Trump, maybe he is more optimistic,” Yasay said.

“I think we have all the fundamentals that would ensure that our relationship will even be stronger,” he added.

Yasay said ties between the Philippines and the US would grow stronger if certain fundamentals were “managed properly.”

“It will be towards a direction (where) both countries will treat each other as sovereign equals and with mutual respect. That’s basic insofar as carrying out a mutually beneficial relationship,” he said.

Earlier this month, Duterte said he could get along well with Trump, whom he described as “the chosen leader of the most powerful country.”

“I can always be a friend of anybody especially presidents, chief executive of another country. He does not call me out over my campaign about human rights,” the Philippine leader told reporters in an interview last Nov. 15.

Duterte is hopeful that Trump will be fair to the more than 270,000 Filipino illegal immigrants in the US.

But he said Trump’s election would not make him change his pivot to China and Russia after announcing his “separation” from the US.

Still close 

Despite Duterte’s pivot to China and Russia, military relations between the Philippines and the US remain robust.

Senior Filipino and US officials made this known yesterday following the conduct of the yearly Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting held at the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.