REPORT
To : The Senate
From : Senate President Franklin Drilon, Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda-Levisteand Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel
Subject : Visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the U.S.
Date : December 3, 2001
I. Summary
Senate President Franklin Drilon, Majority Leader Loren Legarda-Leviste and Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel accompanied President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - upon her invitation - to an 8-day working visit to the US and a 14-hour side trip to Mexico.
The US visit resulted in enhancing the ties of the country with the US and in obtaining some $4.3 billion in economic and military assistance as well as new investments in the country. Some $300 million in World Bank soft-loans was earmarked for the economic development of Mindanao.
MEETINGS With President George W. Bush, Vice Pres. Richard Cheney, Secretaries Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld
The Senate President submits that President Arroyo “restored the confidence of the US Government in the Philippines as a reliable ally in Asia.”
The Senate President was present in separate meetings of President Arroyo with US President George Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He reports that these top officials expressed their unanimous appreciation for the support that she had extended to the US-led coalition against international terrorism without any hesitation.
The Senate head further states that “President Bush repeatedly expressed admiration for President Arroyo “for her display of strong leadership in supporting the war against terrorism, and was appreciative of the use for Clark & Subic as transit points and staging areas in the anti-terrorism campaign in Afghanistan.”
He also recalls that President Bush:
- offered US assistance “in whatever form the Philippine Government may indicate” to end the terrorist activities of the Abu Sayaff Group.”
- praised the passage by the Philippine Congress of the Anti-Money Laundering Law.
- offered technical assistance to trace sources of funds for terrorist groups, particularly the Abu Sayaff.
- committed that his administration will soon define its position on the “Filipino Veterans Improvement Act of 2001” now pending in the US Senate and the “Filipino Veterans Equity Act” pending in the House of Representatives in response to President Arroyo’s request.
The Senate leader says that in all these meetings, President Arroyo emphasized the need for:
- the continued support of the ASEAN, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia, in the US-led campaign against terrorism.
- the development assistance to alleviate poverty, particularly in the ARMM as poverty breeds terrorists and it is only through economic development that the government can effectively remove the base support of the Abu Sayaff and other extremist groups.
- modern military equipment for our troops in the fight against domestic terrorists.
On November 20, 2001, President Arroyo and President Bush issued a joint statement recognizing that “the Mutual Defense Treaty has been vital in advancing peace and stability in the Asia Pacific for the past half a century.”
The two presidents underlined “their determination to strengthen their military alliance on a sustained basis” and that “the Filipino and American people stand together in the global campaign against terrorism.”
The Mexico trip strengthened the bonds of the country’s leadership with the Christian Democrats International, which had its annual conference in Mexico City. The President addressed the conference mainly in Spanish that underscored the country’s ties with the Spanish-speaking world.
II. Details
The three senators joined the President’s visit to the United States that started from November 14 to November 23, 2001. It included a quick side trip to Mexico on November 22, 2001.
Day One – Wednesday, November 14
We left Manila at 10:15 p.m., via Philippine Air Lines for San Francisco.
The three senators were seated in the same cabin as the President, her husband and two boys, Roy Golez, the national security adviser, and with other passengers who were not members of the President’s party like George Drysdale, president of the American Chamber of Commerce and Atty. Enrique Sobrepena, chair of the College Assurance Plan. (Senator Pimentel was seated behind the President. Surprised by the arrangement, he said that perhaps the Senate President ought to have been seated behind the President, not he. It did not take long for him to figure out the reason. When the fasten-seatbelt sign was turned off, he found that his seat could not be reclined for the 15-hour trip to San Francisco. He had to transfer to the business class where he found an empty seat that could be reclined for the duration of the long flight.)
In a conversation, Drysdale told Senator Pimentel that his bill defining the relations of business with the government was “good and timely considering the economic downturn the world is experiencing.”
We arrived at San Francisco shortly after 6:15 p.m. In San Francisco, the President had four press interviews and one major speech. (Two of the interviews - with a local TV and by the San Francisco Chronicle - were given before and two after the speech - with Korina Sanchez of Channel 2 and by Fil-Am media in the Bay Area. The speech was delivered before the Filipino community in the Bay Area).
Community reception
By 9:10 p.m., the Filipino community feted the President at a reception that filled up the huge ballroom of the Hyatt Hotel. There were roughly 1200 participants. (The sheer number of Filipino Associations of the Bay Area which were individually introduced prompted Senator Pimentel to say that there were probably more Filipino associations there than stars in the American flag.)
One thing was certain. The welcome for the President was, as usual, enthusiastic.
In her speech, the President said that she had come for a visit to the US upon invitation of President George W. Bush “on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines.
She said that she was supporting President Bush’s war against international terrorism because it was the “morally right thing to do.” She also said that the war against international terrorism must not end only in a purely military victory over Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda terrorist network but must also be accompanied by the economic upliftment of the lives of the poor to remove the breeding ground of terrorism.
Applauded points
Among the highly applauded points of her speech were:
- Her support for the early passage of the so-called Veterans Equity Bill in the US whereby Filipino veterans who fought with the US army against the Japanese would be given the same rights and privileges as the regular troops of the US.
- Her announcement that two bills benefiting overseas Filipinos may be approved on time for the 2004 elections: (1) the Drilon bill granting “dual citizenship” to Filipinos abroad and (2) the bill granting them right to vote. (After the program, Senator Pimentel told Filipino community leaders that the Committee on Electoral Reforms headed by Sen. Edgardo Angara was now putting the finishing touches on the bill granting the vote to overseas Filipinos and will momentarily work on the dual citizenship bill).
Town hall meeting
The community reception was followed by a so-called “town hall meeting” at another function room of the hotel with Korina Sanchez of Channel 2 as moderator.
The interlocutors included Dr. Banayad, a Filipino scientist now based in the US and Alex Esclamado, a veteran Filipino newsman and activist against the Marcos martial law regime.
Banayad asked about government support for research and development. The President told him that the government was doing what it could to support research and development in the country.
Esclamado asked about the “chaos in Philippine governance arising from the multiparty system.” The President disputed Esclamado’s thesis saying that in fact a multiparty system is good for the country because it compels the government to consult with other parties to plan a viable program for the country’s development. The President said that even with the multiparty system in place, her administration got the legislature, particularly, the Senate to pass the Power Act (which was done during the Senate Presidency of Senator Pimentel) and the Anti-Money Laundering Act (which was enacted during the Senate Presidency of Senator Drilon), two highly controversial bills in record time.
Environment issues
An environmental advocate in the panel raised the issues of genetically modified organisms and garbage in Manila.
The President replied that the government is relying on the conclusions of the scientific community on GMOs. As for garbage disposal in Metro-Manila, she said that her government is mobilizing the local governments to effectively address the problem. (Senator Pimentel supported the President’s statement that indeed there would no comprehensive solution to the garbage problem in Metro-Manila without involving the local governments).
The President also said that the country’s law and order situation is now being boosted by the deployment of some 1700 new cops in the streets of Metro-Manila. (Unfortunately, the dramatic effect of her assurance that the streets of Metro-Manila would be safe with the deployment of so many cops was marred by a later report that a Commission on Elections Official was shot dead on Pedro Gil Street in Manila in broad daylight).
After the “town hall meeting”, the President had another press conference with Fil-Am journalists. We then flew to New York via two private Gulf Stream jets.
Day 2 – Thursday, November 15
The five-hour trip to New York was most uncomfortable not because of turbulent weather but because of the cramped accommodations. Nobody slept on that flight.
We arrived in New York at about 8:30 a.m., at the Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. The morning of our arrival was rest period.
By 2 p.m., the President had her first caller, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, John Negroponte, who was the US ambassador to the country during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos. After meeting with Negroponte, she met with her so-called US-based international group of advisers. Thereafter, she met with various investor groups and witnessed the signing of certain memoranda of understanding between and among industries that are planning to invest in the country. (Senator Pimentel met with some Filipino residents of New York who raised two principal issues: the Veterans Equity Bill and the voting rights of Filipino expatriates. He told them that the President would discuss the issue in her addresses in New York even as he assured them that the Senate leadership as well as individual senators are behind the effort to get the bills passed).
Asia Society
By 5:30 p.m., we accompanied the President to the opening of the new headquarters of the Asia Society whose president is former US Ambassador to the country, Nicolas Platt.
The new Asia Society headquarters is named after Maurice Greenberg and his wife. Greenberg is a familiar name to the country’s business circles because he is a prime pillar of the Philippine American Life Insurance that is still a big player in the insurance business in the country.
Platt thanked the President for attending the formal opening of the new headquarters of the Society and assured her that the Society has an abiding interest in the economic development of the country and would continue to receive its support. In his brief remarks, Greenberg echoed Platt’s assurances of support for the country.
The President’s role was to cut the ribbon declaring the new headquarters of the Asia Society open.
Chase Manhattan
By 7:15 p.m., we joined the President at a dinner tendered by Chase Manhattan Bank.
In his introduction of the President, Douglas Warner, chair of the company said that they had brought some $2 billion in foreign investments to the country during her presidency alone and would continue to do so.
The President thanked Warner and his company and assured him that the country is a good investment site and that the government would provide a good and corruption-free business environment for all who would invest in the country.
The President explained that the principal reason why she was visiting the US was that President Bush had invited her to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the country and the US and to reiterate “face to face” her government’s commitment to support the US-led international coalition against terrorism.
After dinner, the Manila media interviewed her. Ambassador Roberto Romulo complimented the President for her stamina and indeed, she looked indefatigable.
Naughty questions
As the official function was coming to a close that evening, a member of the Manila press naughtily asked Senator Pimentel what contribution the Senate Minority gave to the trip. The Senator replied that the Senate Minority had not contributed anything material to the President’s trip. He said his presence was meant as “a symbolic message to all concerned that despite the partisan political differences that divide the President’s political group and the Senate Minority, we are one in upholding a civilian democratic government, in supporting the US-led coalition against international terrorism, and in seeking the development of the country.”
Another Manila reporter acidly asked the Senate President why the official delegation used private jets from San Francisco to New York, implying that the trip was one huge junket. The Senate President replied that the trip was “a working visit and that the Senators who accompanied the President were helping to define the country’s foreign policy by their face-to-face meetings with US officials.” (Senator Pimentel said that the President did not demand any frills for that phase of the trip from Manila to San Francisco. She took PAL just like any passenger. But for the trip from San Francisco to New York and later to Washington, she had to take a private jet to be on time for her appointments with various business groups and with the UN where she delivered a speech on terrorism and our country’s response to it. Not only that. Security is so tight on flights to and from Washington, D.C., that passengers are not allowed to stand up from their seats for whatever reason within 30 minutes to and from the D.C. airports.)
Day 3 - Friday, November 16
By 7:50 a.m., we accompanied the President to the Council for Foreign Relations.
In her talk, she told the members of the Council that military action against terrorism was a just and direct response to the September 11 attacks. The ultimate response, however, should be economic development. She also said that the country was now a good place to invest. And if people were worried about the perceived deteriorating law and order in Manila, she said that she had authorized the police to augment its ranks by 1700 cops. She also said that the fight against the Abu Sayaff was taking a turn for the better with its leaders either being killed or captured by government forces. She also said that the economic indicators of the country show good promise because for the first half of the year, the country posted a 3.4% gross national product.
United Nations speech
From the Council on Foreign Relations, we motored to the United Nations where the President delivered her message of solidarity in the fight against international terrorism. It was essentially the same message that she had delivered in San Francisco and at the Council on Foreign Relations. (Senator Pimentel noted that not too many UN delegates had attended the session when the President spoke, which was “not unusual”, according to a Filipino delegate to the UN. The 10 speakers scheduled for 9 a.m., on that morning were delegates from developing countries. The President was the fourth speaker after the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sao Tome and Principe Patrice Emery Trovoada and before the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova Nicolae Dudau. The session was presided over by Han Seung Soo, President of the UN General Assembly. Perhaps, the saving grace was that the US delegate to the United Nations, Ambassador John Negroponte, and his staff and the ASEAN representatives were present. Negroponte had earlier greeted Senate President Drilon, Senator Legarda-Leviste and Senator Pimentel at the lobby of Waldorf where he reminisced of the “good days” he had in the Philippines.)
After the speech before the UN general assembly, the President witnessed the signing of the UN Convention for the Suppression of Financing Terrorism by our permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco.
Hundreds of our countrymen and women who are employed at the organization mobbed the President. She gave them a pep talk, reminding them of their roots as Filipinos and of their being the best ambassadors of goodwill of the country.
Happy mood
The mood was one of jubilation. A Filipina, however, irked Senate President Drilon when she said that the Senate “should stop grandstanding” and work for the good of the nation. The Senate President replied simply that the Senate was only doing its job to ensure that the development agenda of the nation was reflective of consensus and not dictated by any one party.
The next presidential engagement had us sitting down with prospective investors from 11:15 a.m., – 11:50 a.m., after which we had lunch. The President’s message to the businessmen was basically that the Philippines is now a good investment destination.
Ground Zero visit
After the business conference, we went with the President to visit “Ground Zero”, the place where the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed after these were attacked by terrorists on September 11.
New York City Mayor Rudolph Guilliani received and thanked the President for expressing our condemnation of the September 11 terrorist attacks and our solidarity with the New Yorkers and the rest of the civilized world in the fight against international terrorism. (The Senate President said that the site was “eerie”. Senator Pimentel said that although he had already seen Ground Zero on television, he was still sadly affected by the actual sight of so much twisted steel and rubble there during the visit.)
Presidential press interviews
After the Ground Zero visit, the President had two separate press interviews: one, moderated by Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao and Press Secretary Noel Cabrera, and the other by the Wall Street Journal. She also held dialogues with business groups in various function rooms of the Waldorf and witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Agreements involving CISCO, PLDT and TeleTech Holdings, Inc.; ePLDT and EchoStar Communications; Corporate Information Solutions and Information Builders; Customer Contact Center, Inc., and Source One Communication; and a Department of Tourism program until the next official function to which the Senators were invited. (While waiting for the official function to start, Senator Pimentel met with other Filipino expats in New York who expressed their wish that the overseas voting bill and the dual citizenship bill filed by the Senate President be enacted into law soon. They also asked that the plight of a Filipino resident of New Jersey, “a victim of injustice” be brought to the attention of the President for possible assistance. The “victim” is allegedly under indictment for killing a police officer although he had acted “in self-defense”. Senator Pimentel said he would forward the matter to the President.)
Filipino American Chamber reception
At 7:30 p.m., of that day, the President and the delegation were given a reception by the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce at the Waldorf.
There was a big crowd of business people who were interested in investing in the country.
In her speech, the President repeated her message of hope for the country and the reason why President Bush had invited her to visit the US at this time of the year. She made it very plain that investing in the country would be a very sound idea. (A garments official at table told Senator Pimentel that firms engaged in the garments industry are alarmed at the reported rampant smuggling of textiles into the country.)
Mini Osmena, sister of Senator Serge Osmena, was among the prominent guests.
Day 4 – Saturday, November 17
Morning was free of official functions. (A group of Cagayan de Oro City residents in New York gave a luncheon for Senator Pimentel at a Chinese Restaurant in Queens. The Cagayanons hold good jobs. Most are in private enterprise like dealing in real estate, nursing, health care and teaching. One enterprising lady said that she sends an average of $1000 to her children back home. Like the Filipino groups that we had met earlier, the Cagayanons in New York expressed the hope that they should be given the right to vote soonest.)
At 5:45 p.m., some State officials were scheduled to call on the President.
Loida Nicolas cocktails
By 6 p.m., the President and the delegation went for cocktails at the home of successful Filipino entrepreneur, Loida Nicolas Lewis, at 834 5th Avenue New York.
In her off-the-cuff remarks, the President praised Filipino expatriates in the US and cited Nicolas for demonstrating that Filipinos not only have beauty but talent as well. The President said that of our compatriots in the US are earning their keep, making an average of $60,000 a year in the various fields of endeavor. The President also said that Filipino expats should invest in the country and continue to send money back home. (On personal note, Senator Pimentel said he was happy to meet again Mely Nicolas, sister of Loida, who with him was one of the original group campaigning by the side of Cory Aquino against Ferdinand Marcos in the presidential election of 1986.)
Senator Hilary Clinton dropped in at the Nicolas bash, thrilling the ladies in the President’s entourage and triggering the usual requests for her to be photographed with them. Senator Legarda-Leviste got upset when her husband, Tony, who was doubling as a photographer, clicked his camera only to find out that it had ran out of film.
Mass at St. Patrick’s
After the cocktails, the President motored to St. Patrick’s for mass at 7:10 p.m.
St. Patrick’s was filled with Filipinos residing in New York City and its environs who greeted the President enthusiastically.
Cardinal praises Filipino talent
Edward Cardinal Egan of New York extolled the President for her leadership in the fight against terrorism. He also praised our doctors, nurses, health workers as people of great compassion and professionalism. He ended his talk with an appeal that more vocations to the priesthood and religious life should come from the Filipino community in New York. He said he had learned much from the religiosity of the Filipino community in New York and from the commitment to the Church of the Filipino clergy many of whom worked in the archdiocese.
In her speech immediately after the mass, the President thanked the Cardinal for his kind words. She said that Filipinos in the US were earning their keep with an average earning of $60,000 a year. She said that Filipinos should get involved in the political life of the US so that they would have greater participation in defining its policies even as she condoled with the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
She urged them to send their remittances regularly back home and encouraged them to invest in country today, especially in small and medium enterprises.
Commitment vs terrorism
The President reiterated the theme of her speech (Bush’s invitation, her commitment to the fight against international terrorism, to the cause of the veterans, to the welfare of the Filipino anywhere in the world and to the development of the country). The speech was well received judging from the thunderous applause that punctuated it several times.
There were several Filipino priests who concelebrated the Mass with the Cardinal. It must be mentioned a blind Filipino tenor, Carlos Ibay, electrified the churchgoers with his rendition of Panis Angelicum.
Day 5 – Sunday, November 18
The Senators flew with the President from New York to Washington, D.C., past 8 a.m., on November 18. We arrived shortly before 10 a.m., at the Andrews Air Force Base.
There were no public appearances that morning for the President that required the Senators’ presence. She, however, met with DC-based consultants and had a CNN interview. (After lunch, Senator Pimentel was interviewed over TV-58, a Filipino channel by Virginia Assemblyman Dave Valderama, the highest elected Filipino official in the Virginia legislature. Senator Pimentel said the principal reason why he agreed to accompany Senate President Drillon and Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda in this trip with the President to the US was to impress upon the people that despite partisan political differences with the political group of the President, he was one with her in upholding a democratic, civilian government, in her commitment of the country to the fight against international terrorism and in the promotion of the development of the country.)
Mass at Basilica
By 7 p.m., we accompanied the President to a Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (National Cathedral) in Washington, D.C.
Like the Mass at St. Patrick’s in New York, the Mass at the National Cathedral was filled with Filipinos living in or near Washington, D.C.
Cardinal extols President
Theodore Cardinal McCarrick who was the principal celebrant of the Mass warmly praised the President for her decisive leadership in supporting the US-led coalition against international terrorism and for her devotion to Mother Mary. The Cardinal concelebratred the Mass with Filipino priests Noel Deslate, Jose Embile, Ronald Escalante, Teodoro Gonzales, S.J., Pete Literal, Rene Mangahas, Cesar Marin, and Deo Rosales.
In her speech immediately after the Mass, the President restated her government’s commitment to the fight against terrorism and poverty. She stressed the fact that the fight can only be won ultimately if it is carried against poverty that breeds ignorance, violence, terrorism and many other societal ills. She underscored her pledge to raise to the level of President Bush the request of Filipino veterans of American wars that they be given equal treatment in terms of pensions and other benefits with American veterans.
Again, the President paid tribute to the Filipinos working in the US. She said Filipino expatriates were contributing immensely to the economic development of the US and of the country. (Senator Pimentel found the President’s delivery lacking in vitality. He told friends that the pace of the visit was taking a toll on her speechifying. A contributory factor, he said, could have been the failure of the organizers to provide her with an elevated platform at the podium. As it was, only her head could be seen by the audience at the well of the Cathedral.)
Nonetheless, the crowd lapped her speech up and applauded her lustily.
The live interview with her and the delegation with the Manila media was cancelled. Everybody was tired.
Day 6 – Monday, November 19
The morning started at 8:30 with a meeting by the President with officials of the World Bank led by James Wolfenson, WB President; the International Finance Corporation led by Peter Woicke, IFC Managing Director and Executive Vice President; and the International Monetary Fund led by Mike Callaghan, IMF Executive Director. In the meeting, the Senators were told later, the country secured not only positive ratings but also loan agreements for urban water and sanitation and grants for the Zone of Peace and Development in Mindanao from the international financial institutions.
At Tomb of Unknown Soldier
By 9:30 a.m., the President accompanied by the legislators and the delegation laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery. It was a full blown ceremony complete with honor guards and a 21-gun salute for the President. (Senator Pimentel said that the National Anthem had never sounded more moving than when it was played by the US Marine Corps Band at Arlington. He said he had literally felt the hair on his arms rising).
At 10:45 a.m., the President was at the Blair House receiving US government officials: Paul O’Neill, Secretary of the Treasury; Robert Zoellick, US Trade Negotiator, Andrew Natsios, USAID Administrator and Ann Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture.
She also witnessed the signing of MOUs between the government and the USAID and the US Department of Agricultute. (While these events were taking place, Senator Pimentel met with some Filipino entrepreneurs who expressed interest in putting together a consortium to do the Mindanao railroad, explore and develop gold projects to assist the Lumads in Bukidnon, help establish livelihood activities for the poor in Mindanao and even construct a railroad network for the island. Senator Pimentel told them that while their proposals were interesting, funding could not come from the government. What may be done, he said, is for them to secure funds for the projects under BOT arrangements. The proponents said they would do as he suggested.)
Lunch with US legislators
At half past one, the senators joined the President for lunch with certain US congressional leaders.
The veteran Senator Dan Inouye of Hawaii led our US counterparts in that luncheon meeting. Congressman Dana Rorabacher led the US House group.
Speaker Jose de Venecia of our House of Representatives and Congressman Constantino Jaraula, the House Assistant Minority Leader who had arrived that morning joined the luncheon meeting.
It was a fruitful dialogue. We discussed openly and candidly our veterans’ equity bill expectations, the modernization of the armed forces, development assistance, and the fight against international terrorism. Sen. Legarda-Levista asked our counterparts to help rid the former US military bases in the country of toxic waste.
The US Congressional delegation expressed support for our agenda but they suggested to the President that it would help if the matters were brought to the attention of President Bush. They said that the legislative process in the US Congress could be fast-tracked if Bush were to nudge the congressmen and senators to act on the needs of the country. (Senator Pimentel noted that at one point, the President claimed that Veterans Memorial Hospital was founded by her father, President Diosdado Macagagal. Realizing the error, she corrected herself by telling Senator Inouye who was seated at beside her that the hospital was built through the efforts of the veterans, themselves.)
After the congressional luncheon meeting, Jim Lehrer of CBS interviewed the President one on one for 40 minutes.
Call on Cheney
After the Lehrer interview, the President met with Vice President Dick Cheney. The meeting was done under tightest security as Cheney is being kept under strict Secret Service protection in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. (Due to security precautions, the meeting with Cheney was done via teleconferencing. Senator Pimentel was told that a week earlier the Emir of Kuwait had a scheduled meeting with Cheney under the same circumstances as the President’s meeting with him. The Emir reportedly left in a huff because he was not informed ahead of time that the meeting would be done only through teleconferencing. The President, having been forewarned about the security arrangements, pushed through with the Cheney meeting. She said that she fully understood why it had to be done that way.)
Georgetown University Medal
The other major engagement for the day was the conferment of the President’s Medal at Georgetown University at 4 p.m.
We joined the President at this affair. John deGioia, President of Georgetown University was supposed to confer the medal but for unexplained reasons, it was his wife, Theresa, who actually did the conferment on her for “outstanding service to the people” and for her living up to the standards of the University. Incidentally, Theresa deGioia’s mother is a Filipina.
In her lecture, the President recalled pleasant memories of her stay as a student in Georgetown and mentioned that two of her contemporaries in Georgetown – in addition to her – had become heads of States, namely, Bill Clinton of the US and another alumnus from a South American country.
Aside from repeating what she had said in her previous speeches, the President also challenged the many Filipino students in Georgetown to maximize their opportunity to learn from the university so that they can serve not only their interests but the country’s also.
Some old friends of the country were also present, notably Mike Armacost. (Armacost reminisced briefly with Senator Pimentel on the difficult Marcos years when the latter was the opposition mayor of Cagayan de Oro City and the former was the US ambassador to the country. Ambassador Armacost had helped secure USAid funds for water projects in Cagayan de Oro during the Senator’s stint as Mayor of the city).
Maisto call
After the Georgetown affair, we went back to the Blair House where the President separately received US officials handling veterans affairs (whom she reportedly gave a piece of her mind for the delay in the settlement of our veterans’ claims) and US National Security Council Director for the Western Hemisphere, John Maisto, who during the Marcos years was assigned to the Philippines. Maisto was accompanied by his wife, Consuelo “Nini” Gaston of Victorias, Negros Occidental, and Henry Howard, a bank official in Miami specializing in scholarships and student loans. Howard, a former exchange student in the Philippines, has kept an abiding interest in the country’s affairs. (Howard told Senator Pimentel that he has made and will continue to make available scholarship funds through Xavier University for the “poorest of the poor” in Mindanao).
Dan Quayle dinner
The last affair of the day was a dinner tendered by former Vice President Dan Quayle at the Anderson House at 7:30 p.m. At dinner, Quayle announced that his company was entering into a memorandum of agreement with Finance Secretary Jose Camacho for a $1 billion housing project in the country. (At table, Senator Pimentel discussed with former US Defense Secretary Mike Cohen certain aspects of Philippine-China relations and the overall implications of the war against international terrorism. The senator also had a chance to pitch for the importation of the US of our mangoes with the current Secretary of Labor Ann Veneman. She said they are now making final the required documentation that would allow our mangoes to be imported into the US.
Day 7 – Tuesday, November 20
Meetings started early with an interview over Today Show at 7 a.m., with the President followed by separate calls on her by Commerce Secretary Donald Evans and by US Senator Richard Lugar at the Blair House.
Lugar discussions
The President asked Senate President Drilon, Senator Legarda-Leviste and Senator Pimentel as well as Speaker Jose de Venecia and Congressman Jaraula to be present at the meeting with Lugar.
During the call, we discussed:
· the Philippine Veterans interest in the so-called “Equity Bill” that would grant Filipino veterans who fought in American wars the same privileges as American veterans. · on the urging of Senator Legarda-Leviste, the need to cleanse the toxic wastes in the former US military bases in the country. · the upgrading of our military hardware.· economic development support fund for the country.
Lugar pledged his support for the concerns of the country that had been brought to his attention, including the cleansing of the toxic wastes in Clark and Subic.
He praised the President for her leadership initiative in counterterrorism and especially for her efforts at forging a regional coalition among Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines in the fight against international terrorism.
Meeting Rumsfeld
After Lugar’s call, the President went to the Pentagon to meet with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. She was accompanied by the Senate President and Speaker de Venecia.
At the meeting, the President underscored the need of country’s armed forces for modern military equipment, intelligence information and other logistical support in the fight against domestic terrorism. Like the other US officials whom the President had met, Rumsfeld was receptive to the idea of extending the support needed by the country’s armed forces in our fight against domestic terrorism. Mention was made of the possibility of fielding US ground troops against the Abu Sayaff. The President rejected the idea forthwith. What was needed were military materiel and logistical support, not ground troops.
At one point, the President said that the defense of the country does not call for “the sale of any of the country’s military bases”. (The Senate President and Senator Pimentel surmised that somebody must have suggested that to maximize the country’s chances of securing military assistance from the US, one of the country’s military bases be offered for sale.)
Patterson lunch
At the Blair House, after Lugar’s call, Torkel Patterson, director of the US National Security Agency for Asia invited Senate President Drilon, Senator Legarda, Senator Pimentel, Speaker de Venecia and Congressman Jaraula to lunch at the Blair House.
Patterson was accompanied by two assistant secretaries from State and Defense.
We discussed with Patterson the:
· The need to pass soonest the Veterans Equity bill; · Speaker de Venecia’s proposal for the US to grant us Excess Defense Articles that we may pay in pesos not to the US government but to our veterans to release the US from its still unfulfilled commitments to them; · The upgrading the equipment of our military and their capability; · Our support for the US-led coalition against international terrorism; · The need for US support for our fight against the Abu Sayaff;· Speaker de Venecia’s scholarship plan for Muslims to isolate extremists.
Patterson assessed situation of Indonesia, Malaysia and China in relation to our controversy over the Spratleys.
He found the situation in Indonesia volatile, Malaysia, ambivalent and China, unpredictable.
Call on President Bush
After the Patterson lunch meeting, we proceeded to the White House to call on President Bush at 1:25 p.m.
We found Bush reception of us at the Oval Office very warm. He said Senator Legarda “much more pleasant to look at than her counterpart in the US Senate” and complimented her on her “beauty”. Bush willingly posed for individual pictures with Senator Legarda, Senator Pimentel and Congressman Jaraula.
High-powered team
Bush thanked our legislative delegation for making the visit to the US with the President and for supporting the latter’s commitment to the US-led coalition against terrorism. He called the delegation “high powered”. In turn, we assured him of our support. We also gave broad hints that the US should support us also in our fight against our own homegrown terrorists, the Abu Sayaff.
Also present at the Oval Office were State Department Secretary Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice.
After the visit to the White House, we checked out of the Blair House and transferred to the Willard Hotel. (While waiting for the next official engagement of the President at the Willard, a suggestion was forwarded to the President through Senator Pimentel that the country should ask for items in the EDAs that we won’t have difficulty maintaining. The suggestion was that it would be better for us if we had several fast patrol crafts than one big vessel that would cost millions of dollars to maintain.)
Call on Powell
The next official function for the afternoon was a visit to the Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
Powell started the talks with the President with an apology. He said that protocol demands that he should have called on the President. The President said that it did not really matter.
He thanked the President for her immediate and unqualified support to the war against international terrorism and assured the President in turn of US support for the needs of the country.
In his discussion with the President regarding the Indonesian leader Megawati Sukarno Putri’s attitude towards the fight against international terrorism, the President told Powell that she (Megawati) was supportive of the US-led coalition against terrorism but that she was under tremendous pressure domestically from sympathizers of the Taliban.
Powell assures “justice”
Senator Legarda-Leviste asked Powell for US aid to rid the former US military bases in Clark and Subic of toxic wastes pursuant to a “framework plan agreement” earlier signed by the US and the Philippine governments. Without going into specifics, Powell replied that the US would do justice to the Philippine request.
After the conference inside his office, Powell led the President to the steps of the State Department where they issued a joint statement of the thrust of their conference. (Senator Pimentel said that Powell is a very engaging person who candidly laid down his observations regarding US-Philippine relations. Powell, for example, said that when the country voted to remove the US bases, he was of the opinion that the US should merely accept the country’s decision and adjust its defense requirements accordingly).
Rating the visit
From the State Department, the President motored to the Willard where our Congressional Delegation was interviewed by the Manila media moderated by Mario Garcia of Radyo Veritas and Joe Taruc of DZRH.
The Congressional Delegation rated the presidential visit a success. The Manila Media also rated the visit a success (At the press conference, the Senate President rated the visit a perfect “10”; the House Speaker and Senator Legarda-Leviste gave it “a 9”; and Senator Pimentel scored it “an 8”. Senator Pimentel also explained that as legislators, “we came to show bipartisan support for the President’s stand against international terrorism and for good governance.”)
At the press conference, several MOUs, including those between SMBA and Kellog Brown and Root; First Asia Transit Partner, Ltd., and Futrex, Inc., and Corporate Information Solutions and Sun Microsystems, Inc., were signed in the presence of the President.
US-Asean Business Council dinner
At the Willard, the President also received Ford Vice Chair Wayne Bocker and top executives of the US-Asean Business Council at private sessions.
By 7 p.m., the Congressional Delegation joined the President at a dinner tendered in their honor by the US-ASEAN Business Council.
The Council pledged their support to the country and to the policies of the President.
In her speech, the President reiterated the reason why she was invited by President Bush to visit the US; her commitment to the fight against international terrorism; her government’s desire to enhance the climate for business to prosper; the need for more investment so that jobs would be made available to our people and would thereby enable us to effectively combat poverty.
The US-Asean Business Council affair was followed by a press conference from 9:30 p.m., – 10 p.m.
On to Mexico
By 11 p.m., we flew out of Washington, D.C., for Mexico City in two private jets.
Day 8 – Friday, November 21
We got to our hotel, the Camino Real, in Mexico City a little after three a.m. The city reminded us of Manila – some run-down buildings, lots of graffiti, plenty of people and warm weather. By morning, most of the delegation went to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
CDI speech
After lunch, the President spoke before the international convention of Christian Democrats International. While she spoke - mainly in Spanish - her message, with minor variations, was practically the same as that which she articulated in the US.Before 6 p.m., we were on our way to Los Angeles for the President’s meeting with the Filipino community.
The plane that ferried Senator Legarda-Leviste and Senator Pimentel to Los Angeles arrived earlier at a private hangar at the Los Angeles Air Port than the President’s plane.
Anxious moments
There were some anxious moments among the passengers of the first jet because after waiting for some time, the President’s plane was nowhere to be found. It turned out that the President’s plane had mistakenly gone to another hanger where they waited for almost an hour sorting things out.
LA Filipinos hail President
A huge crowd (about 1,500) of Los Angeles Filipinos, then, feted her at the ballroom of the Hyatt Hotel.
The place literally teemed with Filipinos who were overjoyed to see the President.
The President gave a rousing speech underlining the reasons for her visit to the US “upon invitation of President Bush” and reiterating her call upon Filipino Americans to continue helping our country and for them to unite so that they could exercise more political clout even in the US. She told them that she had brought various concerns, i.e., the early passage of the Veterans’ Equity Bill, the need for logistical support to our Armed Forces and for development assistance to the country, to the attention of the highest US officials. She also assured them of her and our legislators’ support for the enactment of the overseas Filipinos’ right to vote in the presidential and senatorial elections before the 2004 elections.
The LA affair was a fitting climax to her “working visit” to the US. After her speech, the President and her party were on a PAL flight back home.
Monetary-wise, the US visit brought in some $4.3 billion in new aid packages and investments to the country. Notable items in the “bacon” brought home by the President include $2 billion in US assistance/preferential trade treatment; $100 million cash grants and equipment sales discounts; $460 million in (Public Law 480) debt for nature swap, and $300 million World Bank soft loans for Mindanao agricultural and other projects. (Senator Pimentel, however, believes that the best plum the President brought home from her US visit is the now unqualified recognition of the legitimacy of her government by Washington – a thing that was in doubt prior to the September 11 attacks.)
SEN. FRANKLIN DRILON
Senate President
SEN. LOREN LEGARDA-LEVISTESenate Majority Leader
SEN. AQUILINO PIMENTELSenate Minority Leader