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Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella
Presidential Photographers Division/Ace Morandante
By Alexis Romero via PhilStar
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MANILA, Philippines -- Will the Philippines cut ties with its traditional ally and treaty partner US?
The answer to the question remains unclear as President Rodrigo Duterte and his spokesman appear to have issued conflicting statements on the issue, which would define the administration’s foreign policy.
The Philippines has had an uneasy relationship with the US after Washington had raised concerns over Duterte’s brutal war on narcotics, which has left more than 3,000 drug suspects dead.
Duterte has accused the US of hypocrisy and has even threatened to put an end to the bilateral military exercises between the Philippine and American militaries. He has also ordered his legal team to review the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a 2014 deal that grants US troops access to Philippine bases.
The president, however, went a step further last Tuesday when he declared that he might eventually break ties with the US.
“I will be reconfiguring my foreign policy,” Duterte said during a visit to the Beit Yaacov Synagogue in Makati Tuesday evening.
“Eventually I might, in my time, I will break out America. I would rather go to Russia and to China. At least even if we do not agree with the ideology they have respect for the people. Respect is important,” he added.
Abella on breaking ties: Not necessarily
Duterte’s spokesman, however, views the statement differently.
In a press briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella claimed that Duterte was merely emphasizing the need for an independent foreign policy.
“It does not necessarily mean breaking up alliances,” Abella said.
Duterte has issued controversial statements in the past that have had to be "clarified" by his spokespersons, who also usually say that the statement was misunderstood or taken out of context.
“Let us try to use our creative imagination. Let’s not be too literal,” Abella added.
When asked which among Duterte’s remarks were policy statements, Abella replied: “It becomes policy when there is official action. Okay? That’s it. Is it clear?”
Duterte made the remark weeks after he declared that the Philippines is not cutting its umbilical cord with its allies but would “certainly follow an independent posture and independent foreign policy.” The Philippines has yet to make public any moves to end military exercises with the US or to abrogate military treaties with it's long-time ally.
When asked how he can reconcile the seemingly contradictory statements, Abella offered a personal opinion.
“This is not policy but this is my opinion regarding the way he makes statements, okay. Like for example, I think very recently he said he wants—I think it was yesterday or this morning, he said, he wants Americans out of Mindanao,” he said.
“So he calibrates his statements, so he carefully calibrates his statements. So along that line, we—if we follow his style, then let us carefully, let us not simply just put a period at the end of his statement and say that—let’s wait for his clarifications regarding the matter.”
Pressed if he thinks the president should be more specific with his statements to avoid misinterpretations, Abella said: “We can want, or we can wish. But this is his particular leadership style. So it’s best I think to just allow him to complete his policies in time.”
Economic analyst Peter Wallace believes Duterte would not sever ties with the US.
“For the last 60 years since we broke away from America as a colony, there has always been this kind subservient thinking and he wants to break that. He wants to establish that the Philippines is a truly independent country,” Wallace told Malacañang reporters at the same briefing.
“I don’t see him as trying to divorce himself from America. That would make no sense, right? He’s just trying to establish an equal partnership and that’s a different thing.”
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