Kumpiyansa ang isang mambabatas na mananatiling malakas at strategic ang ugnayan ng Pilipinas at Amerika kasunod ng isyu sa pagkalas ng US sa World Health Organization (WHO).
Ayon kay House Ways and Means Committee Chairman at Albay Representative Joey Salceda, hindi ang Amerika pangunahing pinagkukunan ng tulong para sa Pilipinas sa loob ng ilang panahon, malayo sa Japan, World Bank, at ADB, at AIIB.
” US has been on the low single digits as far as aid goes, even behind Korea. On that matter, we’ll be fine. Their aid is their decision to make. Nothing needs to be done on our end,” pahayag ni Salceda.
Sinabi ni Salceda na hindi tayo humihingi ng tulong, ang hiling ng Pilipinas ay magkaroon ng fair access sa US markets.
” We are not asking for aid. We are asking for a fair access to US markets which remain our biggest export destination. If our exports are imposed punitive rates, we should understand that as not the act of a friend, and orient our trade and foreign policy accordingly,” wika ni Salceda.
Naniniwala si Salceda na mananatiling malakas at strategic ang ugnayan ng US at Pilipinas lalo at sa lahat ng Asian countries ang Pilipinas ang unang tinawagan ni US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Sinabi ng Kongresista patunay ito na magpapatuloy ang malakas na ugnayan ng dalawang bansa.
Dagdag pa ng Kongresista, hindi magiging ‘unwise’ para sa US na hindi makita ang estratehikong kahalagahanng Pilipinas sa kanilang patakaran at interes sa Asya.
Binigyang-diin ng Kongresista na ang pinakamahalagang foreign relationships ng bansa ay ang Japan at ang ASEAN countries.
Ayon sa mambabatas walang magagawa ang Pilipinas kung bibigyang tuldok ng Amerika ang relasyon nito sa Pilipinas.
Wala din magiging choise ang Pilipinas kundi balansehin ang ugnayan nito sa China.
” I am not sentimentally attached to China. I even led a boycott of its goods in 2011. But when the Chinese economy is good, the Philippine economy is also good. And when the Chinese economy is in bad shape, the Philippine economy is also in bad shape. We have sentimental ties with the US. We want them to succeed as they look after America first,” pahayag ni Salceda.
Dagdag pa ng ekonomistang mambabatas,” We have territorial issues with China, but between the US and China, only the US actually invaded our main islands. So, we are not blind to the fact that they will look after their interest first. We just want them to be fair, and I think they will be. Because the farther the US goes from us, the closer they force us to their adversaries.”
