Bilateral relations between the Philippines and the United States will remain “central and significant” regardless of possible leadership changes in America in the upcoming elections, according to Don McLain Gill, a geopolitical analyst and international relations lecturer at De La Salle University.
Earlier, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Romualdez, in an interview with Bloomberg, said he “does not see any risk at all” to US-Philippines relations despite a leadership change occur in the United States.
“I don’t see any risk at all. We’ve had ups and downs with the US, but it has always endured,” Romualdez said.
The envoy said he remains “comfortable” that US policies toward the Philippines, or the wider Indo-Pacific region will see no discernible change under Trump.
Weighing in on this confidence, Gill emphasized that “the Philippine and US alliance will remain central and significant no matter who the US president would be.” He explained that another democratic President would imply a “sort of continuity” in Philippine-US relations.
Addressing potential changes, Gill stated that even if Trump were to return to the presidency, there would not be many changes, particularly regarding the West Philippine Sea issue, due to Trump’s previous aggressive China foreign policy.
