Marcos assures Trump on PH-US alliance

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed optimism that the “strong and lasting” Philippine-American alliance would continue as he greeted US President Donald Trump on the latter’s inauguration on Tuesday.

“Congratulations to POTUS (President of the United States) @realdonaldtrump and to the American people on another peaceful transfer of power in their Nation’s nearly 250-year history,” Marcos said in a post on X.

“The strong and lasting PH-US alliance will continue to uphold our shared vision of prosperity and security in the region,” the President added.

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It was the second time Marcos congratulated Trump on his second nonconsecutive ascent to the presidency; the first was right after Trump won the US elections in November.

Security cooperation

“I look forward to working closely with you and your administration,” said Marcos, who in under three years in office had Manila pivoting back to Washington after his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, chose to lean toward Beijing for investments and loans.

It was also under Marcos that the Philippines further expanded security cooperation with the United States in the face of China’s aggressiveness and expansionist claims in the South China Sea that have raised regional tensions.

Among the major steps in this direction were the addition of more Philippine camps where American forces can stay on rotation and position equipment, bigger and more frequent war games, enhanced intelligence sharing, and, as announced in June 2024, the US commitment to fresh military aid worth $500 million.

For review in 90 days

On his first day back at the White House, however, Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all US foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals.

It was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected by the order, as funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to be spent if not already spent.

The order, among many Trump, signed on his first day back in office, said the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values” and “serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.”

Consequently, Trump declared that “no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”

Up to Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told members of the Senate foreign relations committee during his confirmation hearing last week that “every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions:

“Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?” he said.

The order signed by Trump leaves it up to Rubio or his designee to make such determinations in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget.

The Department of State and the US Agency for International Development are the main agencies that oversee foreign assistance.

Trump has long railed against foreign aid, although such assistance typically amounts to roughly 1 percent of the federal budget, except under unusual circumstances such as the billions in weaponry provided to Ukraine.

—WITH A REPORT FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

(2025/01/22-05:45)