Malacañang said yesterday that the Philippines is not breaking any of its established alliances, particularly with the United States, and assured American investors in the country that they have nothing to worry about and there is no need to pull out their businesses.
“The treaties remain in place,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said. “Again, we specify that the Philippines will not renege on its treaties that have been made with its established allies,” Abella added.
The Palace official said the “separation” remark – which US Department of State Assistant Secretary for State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel sought to clarify during his visit to the country – made by President Duterte at a business forum during his state visit to China, refers to the military exercised between Manila and Washington.
“It mainly refers now to the (military) exercises. There are 25 more small exercises and three major exercises, but the treaties remain in place.”
He also reassured those in the business industry “that the separation is not severance of economic ties.”
“BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) groups are trying to seek audience with President…basically it is to reach out to the office of president and directly discuss the industry situation from the government,” according to Abella.
And while they have yet to receive a formal word when the meeting would take place, Abella emphasized that they have nothing to worry. “There are no ties that are being broken” and “there’s no need to be pulling out businesses,” he said.
Abella assured Filipino immigrant workers in the US that they will not be affected by the President’s latest pronouncement as it is just a restatement of the independent foreign policy that he has declared again and again.
“It’s basically a separation from dependency,” he said. (Elena L. Aben)