US envoy: Elections festival of democracy

MANILA, Philippines —  As results of America’s vote came in, US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson called the elections on Tuesday a festival of American democratic process where voting is a privilege, but also comes with obligations.

“As friends, partners and allies, we hold each other accountable to live up to our highest democratic ideals, including – maybe especially – during elections,” Carlson said yesterday.

“Our systems of government, though far from perfect, strive to enshrine the rule of law and protect the equality and dignity of all people – one person, one vote at a time. As Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people,’ ” she said.

She noted that when political parties compete freely on a level playing field, when voters’ rights are respected and when election outcomes are upheld with the peaceful transition of power, “societies are more prosperous and secure.”

“And if governments fall short, voters can vote the other way the next time. That’s the power of democratic elections,” she added.

With relations on very strong footing, the Philippines and the United States will remain “steadfast” friends and “ironclad” allies whoever wins the presidential elections, Carlson said.

“In my 39 years in the State Department, I have witnessed transitions from Republican to Democrat to Republican and back and forth… We will remain steadfast friends and ironclad allies as well as partners in prosperity no matter who wins the election in the United States today,” Carlson told reporters at the presidential election watch party organized by the US embassy in Manila.

The relationship between the two countries, she said, has “stood the test of time for decades.”

“I’m highly confident that whoever wins the presidential elections, US-Philippine relations are on very strong footing,” she added.

Carlson said both Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress enthusiastically support US-Philippine alliances and military financing for the Philippines, noting that the country has a very strong bipartisan support in the US.

The US announced in July a $500-million military aid for the Philippines, highlighting support for enhancing the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard to effectively fulfill their territorial defense mission.

The military funding was announced by the US Department of Defense to bolster the defenses of its oldest treaty ally in Asia.

The Philippines has ramped up its military ties with the US and allowed greater US access to local military bases, which angered China.

The Defense Department said that expanding US rotational access by designating four new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites at strategic locations across the Philippines is one of the historic achievements alongside its ally to make US force posture in the Indo-Pacific more mobile, distributed and resilient.

Meanwhile, the projected win of Donald Trump as the next US president should concern Filipinos, militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said yesterday.

“Filipinos must be wary of the fact that the unequal agreements with the US will likely remain and our country will continue to be used for US hegemonic interests and war provocations,” Bayan president Renato Reyes said in a statement.

Reyes fears a Trump win will not mean an end to US wars and conflicts overseas, noting his impending presidency will be met with a new wave of protests to end the genocide in Gaza.

“Our militant solidarity goes out to the working class and progressive movements in the US who will now contend with the return of a fascist Trump regime,” he added.

Reyes said Trump harped on anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric while giving the people populist sound bites throughout his campaign.

Straight out of the fascist playbook, the group leader added Trump capitalized on people’s fear in a period of economic crisis and uncertainty. – Emmanuel Tupas