The Philippines and the U.S.: Change with Continuity? Toy Julloo S0 Anador III and Leryk Baladjay
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The Philippines and the U.S.: change with continuity? toy julloo S0 Anador III and Leryk Baladjay Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (C) and Chinese President Xi Jinping review the guard of honors as they attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 20,2016. (THOMAS PETER/AFP/GE(TY IMAGES) rom colonial rule, to commonwealth, and finally ally, authoritarianism in the Philippines during the late 1970s—a the relationship of the Philippines and the United period marked by an increase in U.S. economic and military FStates is enduring but oftentimes quixotic. For the aid transfers. Moreover, transfer of military support from Philippines, there seems to be no other country that can hold it in thrall like the United States. The relationship between JULIO S. AMADOR III is Executive Director of the Phil- the United States and the Philippines goes back more than ippine-American Educational Foundation, Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, and Senior a century. The two countries have shared a long history of Research Fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center of the Ateneo military, political, and economic ties, despite the geographi- School of Government. His research and policy interests cal distance between them. Both countries addressed the are in Philippine foreign policy and national security, U.S.- communist threat during the Cold War in the 1960s, and their Philippines relations, and ASEAN. relationship with one another became even closer during the DERYK BALADJAY is an MA candidate al the De La Salle Reagan era, when the Kirkpatrick doctrine (named for UN University-Manila. He specializes in security, conflict and peace Ambassador Jean Kirkpatrick) complemented the rise of studies in and around East and Southeast Asia 77 GREAT DECISIONS • 2020 the United States to the Philippines During the long history between the pines officially calls parts of the South during the late 1990s also increased countries, the U.S.-Philippine bilateral China Sea up to its 200-nautical-mile when both countries brokered an ad- relationship has been subject to various exclusive economic zone the West Phil- dendum of a visiting forces agreement domestic and foreign pressures. Dur- ippine Sea) when China's nine-dash line to the pre-existing mutual defense ing his campaign, Duterte's populist claim provided it impetus for military treaty. This relationship carried over to rhetoric was directed against then U.S. build-up in the region. Since 2012 China the 21st century when both countries President Barack Obama. Critics of has tried to claim maritime domain in expressed support for one another in the U.S.-Philippine bilateral relations the large expanse of the West Philippine the war against terrorism beginning have labeled the mutual friendship as Sea and has also been encroaching on the in 2001 and, decades later, when both having imperialistic undertones and exclusive economic zones of neighbor- countries saw to the enhancement of have, on multiple occasions, actively ing Southeast Asian states. This develop- their respective armed forces' interop- protested it. One prominent challenge ment constantly challenges the principle erability within the Asia Pacific region. to this ebbing relationship is Duterte's of freedom of navigation as Chinese Since the early 20th century, the Philip- foreign policy calibration when, four maritime and naval forces have, on mul- pines'foreign policy tradition has been months into office, he announced a tiple occasions, threatened the use of emblematic of a close association with pivot to China and a relative distanc- force in enforcing its illegal claims over the United States. Then the introduc- ing from the United States. This was the disputed regions. tion of Rodrigo Duterte changed the a great departure from the Philippine These pressing geopolitical develop- U.S.-Philippine bilateral relationship foreign policy tradition of his predeces- ments have tested U.S. military com- and challenged the status quo. Or did sors who largely believed in the critical mitment to its historical ally. All these it, really? role that the United States played in the contributed to Duterte's pragmatic re- The election of Rodrigo Roa Duterte country and in the region. balancing. But to understand the logic as the new commander in chief of the This pivot to China further exacer- of Duterte's foreign policy initiatives, Philippines in 2016 was a game-chang- bated the already tumultuous situation a look at the history of U.S.-Philippine er. Rodrigo Duterte represented many in the West Philippine Sea (the Philip- relations is essential. firsts, including being the first president to have come from the southern island of Mindanao and being the first presi- A complicated history dent to have come from a mayoral posi- tion (he served as the Mayor of Davao y T.S.-Philippine relations can be Felipe Agoncillo, the Filipino lawyer city for over 22 years). His election L.) traced as far back as the 1898 who was supposed to represent the as president effectively placed south- Spanish-American War. The United First Philippine Republic in the Paris ern voices into the fore of the national States, which had engaged militarily Treaty signing, was denied participa- agenda. This was important because the with the Spanish forces based in Cuba, tion in the negotiation. Having learned central bureaucracy is heavily criticized declared war against Spain on Febru- of the America's betrayal of trust, for the overconcentration of its delivery ary 15, 1898, and deployed its armed President Emilio Aguinaldo formally of public services in the capital and its forces to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the declared war against the United States provincial peripheries. Rodrigo Duterte Philippines which, coincidentally, was on February 5, 1899. is also a metaphorical game-changer also undergoing its social revolution The U.S.-Philippine War would go because he was the manifestation of against the Spanish colonizers. When on for three years, only to falter on the rise and legitimation of populism in the Malolos Republic of the Philip- March 1901 with Emilio Aguinaldo's Philippine democratic politics. During pines announced its independence capture. US President William McKin- his campaign for the presidency, Duterte from Spanish rule on June 12, nei- ley (1897-1901) pursued a policy of made 30 promises, including to address ther the United States nor Spain, the benevolent assimilation actively super- social issues like corruption and drug two belligerents of the 1898 Spanish- seding and undermining Spanish colo- addiction within a timetable of some American War, recognized it. A peace nial elements at the time. In spite of its 3 months up to 6 years. These prom- protocol was reached between the two imperfections, the United States'colo- ises were received by applause but also war belligerents on August 12, 1898, nization of the Philippines presented doubts from civil society. followed by the Treaty of Paris, agreed itself as an opportunity for national re- to within the same year. The Treaty of imagination. Thanks to the three pillars Paris formalized Spain's ceding of ter- of American colonial statecraft, social Before you read, download the companion ritories to the United States, including policies took form and were jumpstart- Glossary that includes definitions, a guide to acronyms and abbreviations used in the Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine ed in the archipelago: introduction of article, and other material. Go to www. archipelago. In the case of the Philip- the public education system, competent fpa.org/great_decisions and select a pine exchange, Spain was paid the sum civil service recruitment, and the re- topic in the Resources section. (Top Right) of $20 million. Problems erupted when placement of the Spanish guardia civil 78 THE PHIL.PPINES AND THE U.S. 7 ....... PHILIPPINE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE CLAIM Babuyan Islands 2 200 \ S South China ,10,1 Sea/ 7\parn VIETNAM 'PHILIPPINES \ n • • ligtICgil rao San Fernando A Mt. • 9. 6 CHINA'S "NINE Baguio. e 934 DASH LINE" r CLAIM Lingayen• Luzon Philippine LAiSIA Tarlac INDO,NESIA • ezon Sea Angeles' City o. Manila c Catanduanes South Batangas ,-- Naga. China Sea eLegazpi Sorsogen• PACIFIC Calamian Maszte Group §ama • ••,_. OCEAN Roxas. Panay 6 Leyte Bacolod Cebu Cebu* Palawan PHILIPPINES City - Negros Bohol . 1'uerto l'rincesa szi Butuan Cagayan S ulu de Oro. Sea Ozamiz •Iligan Mi nao CotaboNs, Apo • Zamboangai 9,692 ft. r Po 2,954 m. L,„ \-, \ , - . .. \o• 9 100 Miles Jolo. • ----,„ Celebes 150 Kilometers MALAYSIA sv•\4 Sea LUCIDITINNFORMATION DESIGN, LLC with the Philippine Constabulary in ciety, it was not without failures. Land Moreover, governance in the southern 1901. Newly inaugurated US President redistribution policies that were en- island of Mindanao had become more Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) offi- acted lacked support mechanisms and militaristic than that in Luzon, the larg- cially ended the Philippine insurrection only perpetuated ownership within the est and most populous island in the on July 1902, despite lingering sporadic American and Filipino business class Philippines. guerilla resistance in the archipelago. who had vested interests in land and A significant contribution of the While the touted pillars of American natural resources. Instituted tax poli- American colonization period was the colonial statecraft provided the initial cies that replaced the Spanish taxation contour of an early Philippine govern- framework for the early Philippine so- system remained burdensome as well. ment. Much like the American system, 79 GREAT DECISIONS • 2020 the early form of a Philippine govern- ate democratization of the Philippines. countries had improved during the ment employed the distribution of pow- Alongside Wilson's Philippine coun- Japanese invasion of the Philippines. ers that greatly favored the smaller pro- terpart, Manuel Quezon, the move for It was under Philippine President Ser- vincial constituents.