US Defense Secretary James Mattis’ arrival in the Philippines on Monday could have been an opportunity to showcase America’s importance in the region. But, as NPR writes, the Philippines had somthing else in mind.
Shortly after Mattis’ arrival, In an announcement hailing the end to Manila’s campaign against the ISIS-inspired insurgency in Marawi, Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Negrillo Lorenza decided not to mention Washington’s support for the campaign. Manila’s praise was reserved for Russia and China, both of which provided arms that the Obama administration had withheld due to concerns about Duterte’s drug war.
While the weapons from Beijing and Moscow are insignificant in comparison to the military ties between Washington and Manila, for Duterte it is a way to remind the US that it cannot take its close ties with the Philippines for granted.
In related news, the Washington Post reported that President Trump will not attend the East Asia Summit held in the Philippines on November 14, though Trump will be in the country on the 12th and 13th.
The Philstar confirmed that a bilateral meeting between Trump and Duterte is being arranged for while Trump is there.
Dan Thomas
Many Filipinos killed because we were a US colony. If we were not, we were not be included by JAPANESE invasion.
By the way…
My uncle was death march survivor, A USAFFE soldier. 🙂
And Chinese women want men from the US. lol.
Anyone reading history would know that the US was practically forced by "International Power Politics" to administer the Philippines. After the defeat of the Spanish Navy, the governments of Imperial Germany, Imperial Japan, and Great Britain sent substantial naval forces to the Philippines. Germany wanted a naval foothold in the Pacific, Great Britain was not interested, but feared a German takeover of the Philippines. Imperial Japan was there at the behest of Great Britain, who would prefer that the Japanese control the islands rather than the Germans. The US, already eyeing Japan, through default became the administrator’s of the Philippines. And after a sharp rebellion by the Filipino people, the US agreed to end their administration after the Filipino people became able to defend their country against more modern nation-states. In 1946 that agreement was kept. And when the Filipino people asked the US to remove its military forces from the Philippines, the US did so. Many Filipinos here criticize the US, and tell the US that they are no longer the little "brown" brothers of the US. The US has kept its word with the Philippines, and respects the political will of the Filipino people. China siezes your property in the South China Sea, and the Filipino president gets down on his knees and gives China a "blow job". As an American citizen, I say let the Filipino people become the "little brothers" of the Chinese, because frankly the US does not need you to protect our interests.