WITH President Barack Obama leaving the White House in January, government officials are confident ties between the Philippines and the US will become stronger.
US President-elect Donald Trump did not comment anything yet on the programs of the Philippine government particularly on the drive against illegal drugs unlike Obama who expressed his opposition to the alleged human rights abuses committed by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Earlier, Aquilino Pimentel III noted that “since this is a new administration or a new leader, we can always start with a clean slate.”
“This is no longer Obama who commented on the program of our President in a negative way,” according to Pimentel saying that both Duterte and Obama “can get along well.”
Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. echoed the views of Pimentel saying the “election of Trump signals an opportunity for change that can result in a stronger Philippine-US relationship.”
Duterte is looking forward to working with the administration Trump, who shocked the whole world with his electoral victory despite the brickbats he received during the campaign.
Duterte, on a state visit to Malaysia and Thailand, would like to see an “enhanced Philippine-US relations anchored on mutual respect, mutual benefit, shared commitment to democratic ideals and the rule of law.”
The President has recently named Jose E. B. Antonio, founder of the Century Properties Group Inc. (CPGI) and a business partner of Trump, as a special envoy to the US in a bid to further improve economic ties.
In a disclosure, the CPGI said Antonio’s mission is to “enhance business ties and strengthen the economic affairs between the two countries.”