Philippine President Duterte congratulates former US Vice President Joe Biden
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte, on behalf of the Filipino nation, extended his warm congratulations to former US Vice President Joe Biden on his election as the 46th President of the United States of America.
In a statement from Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque released Sunday midmorning in Manila, he said “the Philippines and the United States have long bilateral relations.”
“We are committed to further enhancing the relations with the United States under the Biden Administration,” the statement added.
Secretary Roque said the Duterte administration looks forward to working closely with the new administration of President-elect Biden “anchored on mutual respect, mutual benefit, and shared commitment to democracy, freedom and the rule of law.”
“Congratulations and we wish him all the best,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Ibon Foundation executive director Sonny Africa said everyone can “celebrate the defeat of the populist authoritarian demagogue Trump without embracing what the Biden presidency will still pursue – strengthening US economic and military domination around the world, in Asia and in the Philippines.”
“The US won’t have any qualms working with the Duterte administration or its kind as long as it’s getting what it wants. As ever, our future is in our hands,” Africa concluded.
As far as former Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann Paragas Rosales is concerned, her political party Akbayan, where he serves as chair emeritus, they are extending the best wishes to the American people for defeating Donald Trump and electing their first woman Vice President in the recently concluded US elections.
“Trump’s electoral defeat is an important turning point in the global struggle to defend democracy. It is a crucial victory that allows democracy to live another day,” she said in a statement.
In the same statement, Akbayan congratulated the victories of whom they described as democratic socialists and progressives led by Alexandra Ocasio-Cortes and the squad of progressive women of color Riashida Tlaib, Ilhan Oman and Ayanna Pressley in the US congress and various state governments.
They also called on President Duterte “to take a good hard look at the result of the US presidential election.” The party said Trump’s defeat serves “both as a warning and reminder to Duterte and his minions that all tyrants, regardless of their popularity and power, will fall.”
“Today, it is Trump. In 2022, it will be Duterte and his continuity candidates,” they concluded.
In a separate statement, Filipino unionists from the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) said the American people have spoken.
“In solidarity with the American workers who welcome the changes in American national leadership, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) joins them in congratulating the election of former US Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris as vice-president.
“We look forward that workers’ agenda will be backed in the mainstream of U.S. policy-making! In this time of COVID-19 pandemic, FFW hopes the US will adopt new deal program like FDR did when the world and the Americas confronted a great depression in the 1930s,” the workers group concluded.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported 4,037,564 Filipinos in the United States while the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said US$ 11,340,312,000 have been remitted from the United States of America in 2019. (Melo M. Acuña)
A giant billboard along Manila's main highway greets US President-elect Jose Biden. (Alvin Carranza Photo)
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