The Lopsided Trump-Marcos agreement

“Sana tinext nalang sayo na babawasan ng 1%, sayang gastos.” That was popular social media personality, lawyer Rowena Guanzon’s reaction to the one-percent decrease in the tariffs that U.S. imposes on the Philippine goods.

“Sana tinext na lang” implies that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trip to the U.S. was a waste of resources, especially since he brought along an entourage that seemingly did nothing of substance.

Perhaps the strongest criticism of the 19% tariff on Philippine goods under the current Philippine-U.S. trade agreement came from Senator Ping Lacson.

The senator said, “19% vs 0% tariffs is definitely not the most fair deal between decades-old friends or allies like the United States and the Philippines. If I may add, it is the worst insult that a host can throw at his guest. It is time for us to look for other trade partners.”

I don’t think friendship --or at least the kind of friendship we commonly understand-- factors significantly in global affairs, especially in our relationship with the U.S. Pragmatically speaking, the U.S. will advance its interests at all cost. History has shown, with vivid clarity that our relationship with America has never been fair, militarily, economically, and otherwise. We are U.S.’s “best friend” in Asia, yet we remain in abject poverty. I am not placing the entire blame for our current state on the U.S. What I am saying is that any claim that we are equal “friends” is garbage.

But let me hasten to add that it is not just President Bongbong Marcos who has shown subservience to U.S. interests. Every past president either had no choice or lacked the spine, except former President Rody Duterte. We may be a small country, but Digong resisted from time to time, asserting sovereignty instead of showing canine loyalty. For the first time in a long while, many Filipinos felt proud to be a Filipino.

The one percent decrease, from 20% to 19%, “is the worst insult that a host can throw at this guest.” The problem with some insults is that the recipient does not even recognize it. In other words, they can’t identify an insult even if it’s hurled directly at their faces. That’s the problem with our current president.

Senator Imee Marcos issued a more measured statement: “I have yet to see the final agreement. However, a mere 1% reduction in tariff rates for Philippine goods while having zero tariffs for U.S. goods certainly does not look like a win for the Philippines.” Madam Senator, it is not that it “does not look like a win”, it is a total surrender.

But perhaps the harshest veiled insult came from the U.S. President himself. “He is a very tough negotiator,” Donald Trump said, referring to President Marcos. You don’t call someone who accepts crumbs as “tough negotiator” unless you mean it sarcastically. You are not a tough negotiator if anyone can freely spit on your face. You are not negotiating from a position of strength if you accept a zero-percent tariff for American goods while getting only a one-percent reduction for ours.

This is not even a “one step back, two steps forward” strategy. The president apologist can throw around word salad or perform intellectual gymnastics, but there is no escaping the glaring truth: The deal is not a win-win. It is completely lopsided.