PGMA's Remarks during the Reception for Members of the Philippine Friendship Caucus

PGMA's Remarks during the Reception for Members of the Philippine Friendship Caucus

The Capitol Bldg., Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (20 May 2003)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CONGRESSMAN FILNER FOR YOUR WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION AND THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING WHAT PRESIDENT BUSH SAID YESTERDAY THAT IT HAS BEEN ONE ADMINISTRATION MEASURE OF HIS TO HAVE THE VETERANS BILL PASSED THIS YEAR. SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE VETERANS, AND THANK YOU TO THE CONGRESSMEN WHO...

I'D LIKE, OF COURSE, TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND I AM VERY VERY GRATEFUL THAT THERE EXIST A PHILIPPINE CAUCUS. THIS GIVES INSTITUTIONAL EXPRESSION TO THE ABIDING FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND THE UNITED STATES, AND IT COULD IMPART THE NEEDED CONTINUITY TO THE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT THAT THE PHILIPPINES SHOULD ENJOY IN CAPITOL HILL. I SAY, SHOULD ENJOY, BECAUSE AS WE'VE BEEN SHOWN WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN THEY ARE THERE FOR YOU.

THE PHILIPPINE CAUCUS SHORES UP THE STRENGTHENED BILATERAL ALLIANCE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES WHAT HAS BEEN GENERATED BY THIS STATE VISIT AND A GREAT HONOR CONFERRED THEREBY BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PHILIPPINES IS GRATEFUL TO THE CONGRESSMEN WHO PUT TOGETHER THIS CAUCUS. AND LET ME SAY THAT MY COMPATRIOTS BACK HOME APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS IN BEHALF OF THE PHILIPPINES.

THE GROWING PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES -- SOME OF YOU ARE HERE -- FEELS INCREASINGLY EMPOWERED BY WORKING WITH YOU. IN PARTICULAR, I THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING INCREASED LEVELS OF SECURITY AND ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE FOR THE PHILIPPINES AIDING OUR COUNTER-TERRORISM CAMPAIGN, SUPPORTING OUR MINDANAO PEACE PROCESS AND OUR ANTI-TERRORISM CAMPAIGN WITH THE RECENT EMERGENCY WAR TIME SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET. AMBASSADOR DEL ROSARIO IS IT RIGHT THAT...? IS IT CORRECT THAT THE 30-MILLION DOLLAR SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET WAS THE ONLY ITEM THAT NAMED THE PHILIPPINES...? THE ONLY ADD ON NAMED THAT SPECIFIED THE PHILIPPINES. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

I ALSO THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING ACCESS OF PHILIPPINE TUNA TO THE AMERICAN MARKET. AND NOW FOR YOUR ADVOCACY ON THE PHILIPPINE VETERANS ISSUES THAT TOUCHES DEEPLY YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS OF FILIPINO DESCENT. THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT MATTERS FOR MILLIONS OF FILIPINOS AND FILIPINO-AMERICANS. YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR HELP ARE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AND VALUE TO THEM. MAY I ASK YOU: HELP THEM, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN READY TO HELP YOU.

THE PHILIPPINES HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR THE UNITED STATES. MOST RECENTLY, IT HAS BEEN AN UNHESITATING ALLY OF THE U.S. IN THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. MUCH OF THE WORLD HESITATED, THE PHILIPPINES STEPPED FORWARD TO STAND BY THE UNITED STATES AND ITS DECISION TO CONFRONT THE STRONGEST INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM REPRESENTED BY THE TYRANT IN IRAQ.

THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HIT AND SUFFERED GREATLY FROM ITS ATTACKS CANNOT WAIT FOR TERRORISM TO GROW STRONGER AND VICIOUS BEFORE TAKING DECISIVE ACTION TOGETHER WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFRAID TO COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION.

MY WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNALS A NEW ERA IN PHILIPPINE-U.S. RELATIONS BASED ON A MODERN FRAMEWORK OF STRATEGIC DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC ENGAGEMENT. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND THE U.S. HAS COME OF AGE, THE EVIDENCE IS YOU - THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO MAKE UP THIS NEWLY ESTABLISHED PHILIPPINE FRIENDSHIP CAUCUS. FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES HAS BEEN GIVEN THE INSTITUTIONAL EXPRESSION AND CONTINUING SUPPORT IT DESERVES BECAUSE OF YOU, CONGRESSMEN OF THE PHILIPPINE CAUCUS.

THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM IS OF CENTRAL IMPORTANCE TO THE PHILIPPINES AND ABROAD. AT HOME, A JUST AND LASTING PEACE WILL FREE UP GOVERNMENT RESOURCES FOR THE GREATER WAR ON POVERTY.

ABROAD, I MUST BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SECURITY OF 8 MILLION FILIPINOS WHO LIVE AND WORK IN OVER A 140 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD INCLUDING OVER 1.5 MILLION IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE VICTORY IN IRAQ, WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT WE WIN THE PEACE AS DECISIVELY AS THE WAR THAT WAS WAGED. WE MUST WORK TOGETHER... WE MUST WORK TOGETHER IN A WIDER GLOBAL COALITION ON TWO IMPORTANT FRONTS: ONE, IS FINISHING THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM; AND TWO, IS STAMPING OUT MASS POVERTY BECAUSE MANY OF THE POOR ARE EASILY RECRUITED BY TERRORISTS.

WE MUST SHOW THAT PEACE, PROGRESS AND ADVOCACY ARE THE SUREST WAY TO ACHIEVE THOSE ENDS THAT TERRORISM SO DISHONESTLY PROMISES.

THE PHILIPPINES IS WORKING TO EXTEND PERHAPS ITS GREATEST ASSET, A HIGHLY SKILLED GLOBAL WORKFORCE, TO THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ. BUILDING IS WHAT WE DO BEST. BEHIND THE HEADLINES ABOUT TERRORIST ATTACKS IS THE REALITY OF A COUNTRY STILL GOING FORWARD OUT OF THE ASIAN CRISIS AND BACK TO THE VAST POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF A NATION COMMITTED TO FREEDOM AND FREE MARKETS, THE SAME PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE UNITED STATES DEMOCRACY.

THE PHILIPPINE CAUCUS COULD NOT COME AT A BETTER TIME TO GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS IN THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. I INVITE ALL MEMBERS OF THE CAUCUS TO FEEL AT HOME WITH THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON. I'VE WITH ME AS YOU KNOW AMBASSADOR ALBERT DEL ROSARIO WHO'S AVAILABLE TO YOU AND TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE PHILIPPINES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE EMBASSY WILL PROCESS REQUESTS FOR PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGNS FOR WORLD WAR II. WE DO NOT WANT TO FORGET ANYMORE THAN YOU DO THAT AMERICANS AND FILIPINOS FOUGHT THE COMMON FOE IN WORLD WAR II.

IN CLOSING, LET ME INVITE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU TO VISIT THE PHILIPPINES. SOME OF YOU HAD BEEN THERE AND WANTED TO VISIT THE PHILIPPINES AGAIN. SOME OF YOU HAVE NOT. EYEWITNESS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE GIVE THE BESTPROOF OF WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING. YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED A CAUCUS TO FOSTER FRIENDSHIP WITH A COUNTRY THAT AFTER ALL IS AMERICA'S BEST FRIEND. COME TO OUR COUNTRY AND YOU WILL FEEL THAT YOU HAVE COME HOME. THANK YOU.

BEFORE I GIVE UP THE MICROPHONE, LET ME INTRODUCE THE MEMBERS OF MY DELEGATION. FROM THE SENATE, SENATE PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DRILON; FOR ONE OF YOUR COUNTERPART IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SPEAKER JOE DE VENECIA; AND BY HERE, THE BEAUTIFUL LADY IS A CONGRESSWOMAN FROM BULACAN; NEXT TO HER... AH, THIS IS CONGRESSWOMAN SILVERIO; NEXT TO HER IS THE CONGRESSMAN FROM BATAAN WHO YOU ALREADY KNEW AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS CAUGHT, CONGRESSMAN ROMAN; CONGRESSMAN ABAYA; CONGRESSMAN OF BACOLOD CITY, CONGRESSMAN PUENTEVELLA; OUR SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS BLAS OPLE...

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