US Secretary
of State John Kerry said he hopes to visit the Philippines before leaving
office to underscore the deep bonds of friendship between the two countries and
the indelible alliance Filipinos and Americans forged in the fires of World War
II.
“I am
confident about the future of our bilateral relationship, notwithstanding a
difference here or there about one thing or another,” Kerry said in a ceremony
at the State Department to swear in Sung Kim as the new US ambassador to the
Philippines.
Kerry did
not make any reference to President Duterte’s repeated anti-American tirades
since assuming the presidency on June 30.
“Democratic
elections bring change, and we must all have the wisdom to recognize and to
adjust to that change,” Kerry said.
“But the
logic of our alliance, of why we have stood together for so long, of how deeply
there are bonds of friendship and family between our people – those are as
compelling today as they have ever been,” he said.
Kerry
visited the Philippines in July and met with Duterte and Foreign Affairs
Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.
“And I will
repeat now what I said then: that the United States continues to place a high
value on the close ties that exist between our countries. We continue to
recognize our ironclad commitment to the sovereignty, independence and security
of the Philippines. And we will continue to cooperate in efforts to maintain
peace and stability, and to promote shared prosperity in the Asia Pacific
region.”
In his
remarks, Sung Kim said he was thrilled at being posted to the Philippines, “our
oldest ally in Asia and one of our most special friends anywhere.”
“There’s a
lot of important work ahead for our two countries (and) I’m eager to get
started,” he said.
Kim was born
in South Korea, came to the US when he was 13 years old and became the first
Korean American US ambassador to Seoul prior to his latest appointment.
Asked if
there was any indication from Manila of some sort of olive branch that would
clear the way for a Kerry visit, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, “I
think the secretary was making clear that this relationship matters to the
United States.”
Kerry’s wish
to visit the Philippines after the US elections on Nov. 8 and before a new
administration takes over on Jan. 20 was an expression of his desire not to see
the strong bonds between both countries “threatened in any shape or form by some
of the political rhetoric flying around,” Toner said.
Assistant
Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel, who visited the
Philippines recently, told a news briefing the bilateral relationship between
both countries was “going through a bit of a rough patch, some growing pains.
There’s been some name-calling coming out of Manila. There’s been some
questions raised about what the future holds.”
But the fact
of the matter is that the deep, deep roots between the United States and the
Philippines and between the Filipino people and the American people will, over
the long term, ensure stability in the relationship, he said.
“This is
what holds us together. We’re family,” he said.
Referring to
the change in government after the US election next week, Russel said
regardless of who becomes the next president, the United States has a huge
interest in supporting and being an active participant that benefits from the
prosperity and stability of the Asia-Pacific.
DFA welcomes
appointment
The
Department of Foreign Affairs welcomed yesterday the swearing in of Sung Kim as
the new US envoy to the Philippines.
“We welcome
the assignment of Ambassador Sung Kim as the new ambassador to the Philippines
and look forward to working with him in promoting Philippine-US relations,”
Charles Jose, DFA spokesman and recently appointed Philippine ambassador to
Malaysia, told The STAR.
Kim’s
predecessors in the US embassy in Manila, Kristie Kenney and Harry Thomas, both
took to Twitter to express their well wishes for Kim, a former US envoy to
South Korea.
“New US Amb
to the Philippines talks his love of basketball at his swearing in. DYK – he’s
a lifetime LA Lakers fan,” Kenney said in her tweet.
“#MabuhayAmbKim
Congratulations @USAmbManila Sung Kim as you are sworn in to become ambassador
to the Philippines where you will be welcomed,” Thomas tweeted.
Kerry, in
his speech before swearing in Kim, said that he knew no one better qualified to
take on the envoy post to Manila.
“He has, as
everybody here knows, tackled some really tough complex challenges over a
period of time. He has even done battle with radioactive, nuclear material.
When he was special envoy to the 6th party talks, he conducted a very thorough
and careful inspection of the North Korean nuclear facility only to find
afterwards that his footwear had become contaminated. And his biggest regret
was not that he was exposed to anything, it was that he only had one pair of
Ferragamos to give for his country,” Kerry said.
Kerry said
that one of Kim’s daughters, Erica, was in the Philippines for a school trip.
“Erica is
already in the Philippines on a school trip. Here in the State Department, we
call that good advance work,” Kerry joked.
The
Secretary of State also expressed confidence in the continuing strong bilateral
ties between the Philippines and the US.
Kerry
pointed out that the Philippines and the US are both commemorating the bombing
of Pearl Harbor in 1942, which sparked the US entry into World War 2, a time of
“immense human tragedy but also a story of remarkable courage and the forging
of an indelible alliance between the American and Filipino peoples.”
He expressed
confidence that Kim will be a “worthy successor” to Ambassador Philip Goldberg.
Kim is the
first US ambassador to the Philippines with Asian heritage. He was born in
South Korea but his family moved to the US in the 1970s and he became a US
citizen in 1980.
In his
speech after being sworn in, Kim said that he was looking forward to Manila.
“I’m
thrilled to have the honor of representing our country in the Philippines, our
oldest ally in Asia and one of our most special friends anywhere. The US and
the Philippines are and will continue to be close friends, partners and
allies,” Kim said, also thanking his family for support.
Senators,
too
Senators
welcomed yesterday the appointment of Sung Kim as the new US ambassador to
Manila, saying he could help improve ties between the two countries.
Sen. Panfilo
Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public order, said Kim’s appointment
showed how highly the US values its diplomatic relations with the Philippines.
“While they
are apparently resigned to President Duterte’s hostile attitude towards them,
they know that leaders come and go and it is to the best interest of the two
countries to simply count on our people-to-people socio-political ties that
transcend generations,” Lacson said in a text message.
The post Kerry Confident on US-Philippines Alliance appeared first on Philippine Star.
Share It To Your Friends!
Loading...