PIA Dispatch - Friday, July 31, 2009

PGMA cites importance of US to RP’s economic, diplomatic, national security

WASHINGTON DC, July 31 -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo underscored the importance of the United States to the country’s economic, diplomatic and national security.

The Chief Executive echoed this message Thursday (Friday in Manila) during her historic meeting with US President Barack Obama in his Oval Office at the White House.

The President, who is here upon the invitation of the Obama government, is the first Southeast Asian leader to visit the White House under the Obama administration.

The President thanked Obama and the US government “for being such a good ally especially in working on soft power by helping us build bridges, roads, schools not only in Mindanao but across the nation.”

This assistance, she said in a statement, has “gone a long way in helping us achieve what we have been able to achieve in the peace process in Mindanao in southern Philippines and also our fight against terrorism.”

Arroyo informed the US leader that the Muslim secessionists have agreed together with the Philippine Government panel to work towards the resumption of the formal peace talks.

During their meeting, the President vowed that the Philippines stands four square behind the US government on the position that it has taken with regard to Burma and North Korea’s nuclear adventurism.

“We also applaud Obama for his leadership on climate change which is so important to the Philippines because we are an archipelagic country,” she said.

“So I am very grateful for this opportunity, we thank the Obama administration for their new engagement in our part of the world. And we will look forward to a stronger relationship between the US and ASEAN and bilaterally a stronger relationship between our two countries. Thank you Mr. President,” the Chief Executive said.

The President described President Obama as a very cordial, warm and welcoming person.

She said she was also impressed of Obama’s deep understanding and knowledge of the Philippines and the Filipino people and his understanding of the close relationship between the Filipinos and the Americans.

“As we discussed between our delegation, the relationship between the United States and the Philippines dates back many years ago. It is a friendship that was forged not only in treaties and trade relationships and military relationships but also strengthened by bringing the personal ties that exist between out two countries,” she said


PGMA-Obama meeting source of pride for Filipinos, Palace says

MANILA, July 31 - Malacañang said today the historic meeting between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President Barack Obama at the Oval Office of the White House was a “great success” that brings pride and triumph not only to the President but for the entire nation.
Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio, in a press briefing this morning, said he was particularly proud of President Obama’s taking note of the President’s leadership in the fight against terrorism, climate change and in weathering the global economic crisis.

“The meeting was a big pride and privilege that is well deserved by the President not only in articulating achievements but the aspirations of the whole ASEAN,” he said.

“The President now has the distinction of being the first South East Asian leader accorded this wonderful privilege of meeting President Obama,“ he said.

Claudio said this brought the President and the whole country “greater prominence and attention on the world stage.”

The 45-minute meeting, that further cemented relations between two allies, was described as cordial and constructive between the two leaders, with peace and security high on the agenda.

Claudio said economic and enhanced trade between the Philippines and the US was also discussed.

The President was accompanied by Philippine Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, House Speaker Prospero Nograles, presidential adviser on climate change Heherson Alvarez and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

Claudio said that President Obama, in his statement after the meeting, hailed the relationship of the two allies, and mentioned the contributions of Filipinos to America.

President Obama, according to him, took pride in noting that United States was host to four million persons of Filipino ancestry contributing to US economy and that Filipino veterans walked side by side with American soldiers on behalf of freedom.

Obama reportedly said these factors have strengthened RP-US relations.

President Obama, Claudio said, also took note of the President’s efforts in making good progress on dealing with counter-terrorism issues, peace process in Mindanao, and the Philippines strong voice in issues concerning the South East Asian region that he said he and the President would have a busy agenda together in reducing the threat of nuclear weapons and in improving multilateral partnerships in Asia to create greater security and prosperity.


Obama gives PGMA warm, cordial welcome

MANILA, July 31 - It was a warm, cordial welcome US President Barack Obama gave visiting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday afternoon (Friday morning in Manila) as the two heads of state finally met for the first time at the oval office in Washington.

In return, President Arroyo said in a radio interview that she thanked Obama for inviting her to the White House and reiterated the Philippines' support to issues America was pursuing in the region.

Foremost in the agenda, she said was peace and security and the importance of joining hands against terrorism.

“We discussed peace and security, how to strengthen regional cooperation on anti-terrorism, how to advance the peace process in Mindanao and how the US military is helping us upgrade the professionalism and effectivity of our soldiers, ,” she said by way of describing how her 45-minute one-on-one meeting with the 44th President of the United States went.

”This assistance by the US has gone a long way in helping us achieve what we have been able to achieve in the peace process in Mindanao in the Southern Philippines and also in our fight against terrorism," she said.

President Arroyo also said that she also informed Obama on the progress of the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

She said that the Philippines wouyld stand behind the US in two crucial issues in the region: Burma and North Korea.

The President also thanked the United States’ help with regard to climate change, and the grant of benefits for Filipino World War II veterans.

It was President Arroyo's fourth visit to the White House since she became President. Her first visit was back in November 2001, following the terror attacks in the United States.

She met President George W. Bush a second time in May 2003 during a state visit, and again last year, upon Bush's invitation.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, who is with the President in Washington, said in a phone patch briefing, that prior to the meeting with Obama, the President met with several US lawmakers and government officials at the Willard Hotel.

Among them were Admiral Dennis Blair, director for National Intelligence; US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; and US Senator Sheila Jackson Lee.

She also met with the leaders of the RP-US Friendship Caucus.


RP small but “punches above its weight,” Obama says

MANILA, July 31 - President Barack Obama of the United States described the Philippines as a small-sized country but one that “punches above its weight in the international arena,” in remarks before the press very early this morning at the White House, with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo listening beside him.

Later, in response to a reporter’s question, the President of the U.S. (POTUS) complimented President Arroyo for her “outstanding work on a whole range of issues…somebody who knows the issues (from terrorism to nuclear proliferation)…has experience leading the Philippines through some very difficult times….”

It was Obama’s acknowledgment that President Arroyo did roll with the punches over the endless tirades and derision by political rivals and critics of her foreign trips and alleged hounding of the White House for a meeting with the world’s most powerful leader.

Obama admitted to borrowing the ”punches” expression from the sports of boxing, whose current world hero is Filipino Manny Pacquiao, whom he earlier said he also admires.

”So although the Philippines is not the largest of countries, it, in using a phrase from boxing, punches above its weight in the international arena, and we are very grateful that President Arroyo has visited us here today,” the POTUS said.

”We are looking forward to using this meeting as a way of launching even greater cooperation between our two countries in the years to come,” Obama said, emphasizing that “the Philippines will be the coordinating country in the U.S. relationship with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).”

"I am looking forward to my travels to Southeast Asia, and the Philippines will be the coordinating country in the U.S. relationship with ASEAN, the primary organization -- strategic organization for Southeast Asian countries.”

One of the key points in this regard is the human rights situation in ASEAN member Myanmar, where the Philippines has led in goading Myanmar’s junta leaders to sharpen its “Roadmap to Democracy” beginning with the release from prison of Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

”We are very grateful of the strong voice that the Philippines has provided in dealing with issues in Asia ranging from the human rights violations that have for too long existed in Burma (now Myanmar) to the problems that we're seeing with respect to nuclear proliferation in North Korea,” said Obama.

On Myanmar, the Philippines would have to be talking to Indonesia on the latter’s proposal for an ASEAN development fund for impoverished Myanmar to help it tread the democratic road based on “concrete” assistance and “not just rhetoric,” an ASEAN diplomat told the Philippines News Agency (PNA).

In his remarks, Obama also recognized the role the Philippines is playing on the issue of denuclearization and how it is leading the five-year cyclical Review Conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that will be held in May 2010 in New York City.

To these remarks of Obama on Myanmar and North Korea, President Arroyo's counter is to “stand foursquare behind the United States on the position."

Obama cited the Philippines' outstanding contributions to the United Nations peacekeeping around the world, referring to Philippine presence in some conflict-areas around the world such as Haiti and Liberia.

He began his remarks with an affirmation of the bond between the U.S. and the Philippines, describing it as “a friendship that is forged not only in treaties and trade relationships and military relationships, but it is also strengthened by very personal ties that exist between our two countries.”

He said he is “proud to have four million persons of Filipino ancestry contributing to our country each and every day, in all walks of life. The fact that we have Filipino veterans who have fought side by side with American soldiers on behalf of freedom -- all those things have strengthened the relationship between our two countries.”

President Arroyo has only 11 months to go before leaving the Presidency, but that Obama still sought her out for a meeting at the White House sets the tone for America's so-called new "multi-partner" approach to foreign policy, observed a political analyst.

It was evident in her meeting with Obama that the close RP-US alliance continues to be a brace for “a busy agenda” for the U.S., the analyst continued.

Obama said the Philippines and the U.S. will be working together “to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons, improving the multilateral partnerships in Asia that can create greater security and greater prosperity for all countries.”

On her part, President Arroyo reiterated the “very essential (role of the U.S.) to the economic, diplomatic, and national security” of the Philippines, “for being such a good ally in our working on soft power by helping us build bridges, roads, schools, not only in Mindanao but across the Philippines.”

The assistance “has gone a long way in helping us to achieve what we have been able to achieve in the peace process in Mindanao in southern Philippines, and also in our fight against terrorism,” she said in her remarks.

President Arroyo acknowledged American help to professionalize the Philippine military and making it more effective, her counter to Obama’s remarks about her "such good progress" in countering terrorism and the peace process in Mindanao.

Obama thought it "has the potential to bring peace and stability to a part of the Philippines that has been wracked by unrest for too long.”

On the Mindanao issue, President Arroyo informed Obama “that the Muslim secessionists have agreed, together with a Philippine government panel, to work towards a resumption of formal peace talks, and we're very thankful for the international community," the U.S. and other international supporters "for their assistance in bringing us to this stage.”

She was referring to the breakthrough reached on July 29 between the Philippine government panel, headed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), headed by Mohagher Iqbal, on the resumption of peace negotiations in Malaysia. The talks went on impasse for close to a year.

”We also applaud President Obama for his leadership on climate change, which is so important to the Philippines because we are an archipelagic country and severe climate change is going to be disastrous for our country.

"We are already feeling the weather pattern changes in the rising seas.

”I bring the thanks also of our Filipino veterans for the inclusion of the veterans' benefits in the fiscal stimulus package, something that we have all waited for as a country for the last 60 years,” she said.

The Obama administration looks to its post-Bush White House as a “new engagement” of issues around the world, a position reiterated by State Secretary Hillary Clinton who called it “multi-partnering."