Fixing US-PH ‘bad relations’

Everybody minds if the prevailing “bad relations” between the Philippines and the United States is going to be fixed. A good foreign policy should always anchor on friendship to all nations; and more importantly that relations should bring forth long term mutual benefit and mutual respect.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte would probably be one of the first persons to be happy if this fissure is patched up satisfactorily. In fact, he admitted during his speech in the State Conference on United Nations Convention against Corruption last December 7 that he would feel like a “saint” if such happens.

The strained relations between the two countries started after President Barack Obama criticized Duterte on his bloody war against illegal drugs. But the truth is that PH-US relations have always been one-sided and bad, especially during the colonial period from 1898 to 1946. This is natural and expected, because there had never been a case of a colonizer ever treating its colony with fairness or kindness. No matter who is the colonizer, the approach and objectives are invariably similar.

Strangely or given, even after the physical exit of the colonizer, they would resort to every trick to get the most out its former colony. The case of the US in the Philippines is not an exception. After the grant of Philippine independence in 1946, American citizens and Filipinos have equal rights in regard to using the natural resources of the Philippines. This was ensured by the Parity Amendment to the 1935 Constitution.

But this harsh past is like water under the bridge. Looking to the future, rather than reminiscing the past, is more important. But in no way, the past would be allowed to slip into oblivion. We must see to it that the past especially the excesses of rulers, colonizers, and despots should always be in the collective memory of the people. This is the reason why the GPH-MILF Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), specifically in the Annex of Normalization, provided that the parties undertake transitional justice and reconciliation in order to heal the past. This process consists of judicial and non-judicial measures implemented in order to redress legacies of human rights abuses. Such measures "include criminal prosecutions, truth commissions, reparations programs, and various kinds of institutional reforms.”

However, in terms of urgency, resolving this strained relations is more to the interests of the US. The Philippines stands to gain more, especially on the tactical level, although in one aspect it is also dangerous. A weak party should not dare a giant.

Wrongly or rightly, the “flip-flopping” of President Duterte is actually a matter of posturing. The truth is that he has more aces to play than the Americans, whose weaknesses include its hesitancy or virtual unwillingness to go to war over the conflict in South China. The US and China are heavily in trade with each other. This is further reinforced by the effect of pronouncement US President-elect Donald Trump that his administration would adopt an inward-looking policy.

On the other hand, the emergence of China, as a world power, economically and militarily, and its proximity to Southeast Asia are factors that can force radical shifting of alliances in the region. An ant cannot fight an elephant; and more seriously, a nearby elephant is more feared than elephant faraway. In terms of population, even if all of Southeast Asian countries’ populations, including Japan’s and South Korea’s, put together, they cannot equal to that of China alone. This immensely impacts on the psyche of peoples in this region and the policies of their governments.  

Finally, all factors considered, mending this strained relations is still the best option. The Philippines needs the US in the same way we need other countries. On the emotional or moral side, we should never forget what the US has helped us during several trying times. It is not fair to see or consider only the negative side of things.