Escudero says Philippines must brace for Trump, but Marcos sees no major change
MANILA, Philippines — While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. foresees no changes in the Philippines' relationship with the US following Donald Trump’s presidential win, Senate President Francis Escudero said that Manila must prepare for potential shifts in Washington's policies.
Trump's historic return to the White House has raised questions about shifts in global politics and diplomacy. His stance remains clear: America first.
"From trade to security to immigration, what he said he plans to do, some on day one of his administration, would certainly impact us," Escudero said in a statement on Monday.
Trump has promised a massive deportation, and Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said that he is likely to follow through on this promise.
Escudero said there are around 300,000 Filipinos who are illegal immigrants in the United States, with many of them vulnerable to deportation in the first wave. He said that it would take 10 large airplanes to bring them all home from the US.
Trump’s America First policy also entails higher tariffs on products from other countries, including their allies.
“How will his plan to erect high tariff walls affect our economy given the fact that almost $1 in every $7 of our export earnings come from our trade with the United States?” Escudero said.
Trump’s win also raises the possibility that the US dollar could strengthen, which may cause the Philippine peso to weaken. This could lead to an increase in the Philippines' foreign debt due to the rising value of the US currency.
Escudero also questioned if the US would continue to back the Philippines in military alliances.
"On the security front, will a second Trump administration be hawkish or dovish against China? We should be ready just in case Washington changes its position,” Escudero said.
No major change
Marcos, who congratulated Trump even before official projections declared a winner, downplayed the likelihood of a shift in bilateral relations.
In an ambush interview, he was asked about the potential impact of Trump’s win on US-Philippines relations.
“I will have to see if there is a major change, but I don’t think so. I don’t think so,” Marcos said.
Marcos said the US remains to be the country’s oldest treaty ally.
Current US President Joe Biden has vowed to defend the Philippines in the South China Sea issue, with Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirming the US’ ironclad commitment to the Philippines’ maritime security.
With Harris losing the election, Trump’s plans for the US’s role in the disputed South China Sea remain uncertain.
Amid a shifting geopolitical landscape, Marcos signed two laws reaffirming the Philippines' territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea: the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.
China has slammed the two laws, saying it infringed on its territorial rights. Marcos said this was expected.
“We have to protect our sovereign rights and our sovereignty. So, it serves a purpose that we define closely what those boundaries are, and that’s what we are doing,” Marcos said.
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