Relations between Manila and Washington will remain “good” and may even be better under the Democratic administration of United States President-elect Joseph “Joe” Biden, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez said on Wednesday.
At the Laging Handa briefing, Romualdez said the long-standing and “good” relationship between the two countries is not expected to change despite calls from some of Biden's Democratic allies in both chambers of the US Congress to condemn the Duterte administration for its human rights record and to free Sen. Leila De Lima from her continued detention.
“There are issues of course that props up like our human rights, but overall, the relationship with the US is good. Issues can easily be resolved but the overall relationship is very good and will remain so and perhaps even better in the coming years,” he said.
In March this year, at least six Democrat allies of President-elect Biden in the US House of Representatives filed a resolution calling for the release of De Lima from her two-year detention.
The House Resolution 233 filed by California Rep. Jackie Speier also called on the US House of Representatives to condemn the Philippine government for "its role in state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings by police and other armed individuals" as part of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
It was co-sponsored by Massachusetts Rep. James McGovern, Georgia Rep. Henry Johnson, Jr., Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, California Rep. Brad Sherman, and Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett.
On the immigration issue, Romualdez said the incoming administration could be beneficial to many immigrants, including Filipinos since several Democratic members of the US Senate themselves are pushing for more “relaxed” immigration rules as compared to Trump’s policies.
“In my view, it will be beneficial because some members of President-elect Biden’s party are pushing to change some provisions of the immigration law here in the US,” the Filipino diplomat said.
He said there are currently about 350,000 cases of deportation involving Filipinos, many of which are pending before the various deportation courts across the United States.