No change in US-PHL relations whoever wins in upcoming US presidential polls - Goldberg

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 15): No change in US-PHL relations whoever wins in upcoming US presidential polls - Goldberg

United States Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg on Friday assured that whoever emerged as the winner in the coming US presidential elections in November, it will not change US relations with the Philippines.

Goldberg told reporters covering the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) during his farewell lunch that the US-Philippine alliance is strong regardless of whoever between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democrats' Hillary Clinton will win in the presidential race.

"I think our commitment to the Philippines is clear. We have been good allies, we will remain good allies," he pointed out.

"I think that whatever government is in, the United States will value the Philippines as an ally and friend. We have 3.5 million Filipino-Americans and a rich tradition and history, and as allies and friends I don't think the changes of administration in the US affects that," he added.

The outgoing ambassador clarified that alleged threats against President Rodrigo Duterte from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is not true and has no basis.

"But we are friends of the Philippines, we are allies of the Philippines, and we respect the democracy in the Philippines, so I don't know what that's all about, quite frankly. But I'll leave it at that. There is no foundation," he emphasized.

The Washington’s top diplomat to Manila cited the great friendship of his country and the Philippines over the past 70 years that produced remarkable results.

He said that over the last three years in the Philippines as Ambassador, “many of the important features of our alliance, the great friendship between our people and our country and it was a nice moment to review those moments.”

He recalled that during typhoon Yolanda, they were able “to carry out with our colleagues, our friends from the AFP my colleagues from the US, the military, it reminds me how close our relationship is.”

“We reviewed many of the cooperative programs that we have in the assistance area things that have been increased over the last few years, foreign military funding, maritime security initiatives which provided USD 42 million last year to the Philippines to improve its ability to sea and operate in its maritime space, the USD 66 million for foreign military funding , the millennium challenge cooperation which finished 226 km road in Samar which hopefully will help spur the economic development,” he stressed.
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