Philippines ambassador says country stands with America amid regional tensions

The Philippines is standing with the United States amid tensions over Taiwan, the country’s ambassador told National Press Club members at a recent event at the country’s embassy.

Despite strong objections from China, the government of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced in February that Manila would grant the U.S. military access to four additional bases in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

“We have chosen to be on the right side of history, which is to be with the United States in terms of our military alliance and our agreement,” Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said March 31 to a gathering of Club members.

Romualdez described the Philippines’ relationship with the United States as “one of the strongest and best we have ever had with this country.”

China is the Philippines’ largest trading partner, but Romualdez said relations are strained because “China is always harassing our fishermen in places where clearly it is our territory.”

The ambassador sees economic prosperity as a means to combat aggression from other countries.

“We don’t want aid, we want trade because we want the economic resources to defend ourselves,” he said.

He spoke during the Club’s most recent Embassy Night. It was part of a series hosted by the Club’s International Correspondents Committee. The group each month brings together Club journalists with diplomats representing the countries they cover.

The event at the Embassy of the Philippines began with an opportunity for Club guests to network with embassy officials as appetizers were passed around, sparking discussions of where to find the best Filipino restaurants in Washington.

Romualdez opened his remarks by referencing his many years in the newspaper business, during which he penned what he described as a “hard-hitting column” that he continues writing to this day.

Libel remains a criminal offense in the Philippines, but Romualdez said freedom of press is “very much alive” in the island nation, pointing to the number of journalists who regularly criticize senior government officials.

The ambassador joked that he envies his friends in the media. When he had their job, Romualdez said, “I used to tell politicians what to do. Today, politicians tell me what to do!”

During the event, Club President Eileen O’Reilly raised press freedom concerns with the ambassador, including the case of Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa, who a Philippine court recently cleared of tax evasion. Ressa also is a recipient of the Club’s John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award.