Andanar: PH-US ties up for reboot

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Relations between the United States and the Philippines could have a “reboot” under President-elect Donald Trump, a Malacañang official said yesterday.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar predicted a thawing of US-Philippines ties after President Rodrigo Duterte’s seven-minute phone conversation on Saturday with the newly elected US leader “went very well.”

“It showed that there is a big possibility that we will have a reboot of relationship,” Andanar told the state-owned dzRB radio station.

“And from what President Duterte told us, it seems he would be comfortable with President-elect Donald Trump (who) wished the President well in his campaign against illegal drugs,” he said.

Andanar said Mr. Duterte, who has been called by some as the “Donald Trump” of Asia for his propensity for issuing gaudy, controversial statements, was satisfied with Trump’s support for his drug war and his respect for the country’s sovereignty.

But Andanar refused to identify in which areas the Duterte administration could solicit Trump’s help in improving the US-Philippines relations.

“I cannot go ahead of the President on how to reboot our relationship with the United States… because there are so many aspects in our relationship,” he said.

It will be up to the President and Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. to decide which aspects our country can reboot with the United States, he continued.

Good rapport

On Saturday, the President spoke with Trump over the phone as he congratulated the billionaire business tycoon in his recent victory as the successor of outgoing US President Barack Obama.

“I could sense a good rapport, an animated President-elect Trump. And he was wishing me success in my campaign against the drug problem,” Mr. Duterte said of his conversation with Trump.

“He understood the way we are handling it and I said that there’s nothing wrong in protecting a country. It was a bit very encouraging in the sense that I supposed that what he really wanted to say was that we would be the last to interfere in the affairs of your own country,” the President said.

The usually warm USPhilippines relations suddenly turned cold after Mr. Duterte openly assailed Obama and the American government for calling him out over his ruthless drug war, which has led to the killings of nearly 6,000 drug personalities since the President was sworn in on June 30.

White House visit

Mr. Duterte said Trump was “sensitive” and understanding about his crackdown and was encouraged by what he interpreted as Trump’s indication he would not interfere.

Mr. Duterte’s special assistant, Christopher Go, had earlier said in a text message to media that Trump had invited the President to visit the White House next year.

There appeared to be confusion, however. Duterte mentioned an invite to Washington and New York, and that Trump asked him to notify him of his presence “if I’m around.”

A statement issued by Trump’s transition team made no mention of that. It said the two men “noted the long history of friendship” between their countries and would work closely on “matters of shared interest and concern.”

Duterte made waves when he visited China in October and announced his “separation” from the United States.

In five months in office, he has upended Philippine foreign policy by berating the United States, pursuing a new alliance with Russia and also China, with which Manila has a history of bitter disputes.

His diplomacy has created jitters among Asian nations concerned about Beijing’s influence and Washington’s regional staying power. —WITH A REPORT FROM THE WIRES