GMA Integrated News interview with Amb. Jose Manuel Romualdez, Philippines Embassy in Washington
Watch the GMA Integrated News interview last week with Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez - Philippines Embassy in Washington, D.C., U.S.
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00:00 Sir first, how are you? I understand you are supposed to meet with the President. Do you have that schedule sir? Are you scheduled to meet?
00:14 Yes, of course. Of course, I'm supposed to meet with the President. That's the reason why I'm here in Manila now, precisely to have an in-person meeting with the President.
00:25 What's the, of course, confidential, but what's the agenda?
00:30 Basically, it's a lot of things that I need to report to the President personally, especially all of these relationships that we're developing in the United States.
00:41 A lot of things, economic, security, defense, and other matters that I think would be important for the President to be aware of. So that's essentially, it's like a report that I would like to make to the President when I see him.
00:56 Okay. Do you have a special, urgent matter that you need to convey to him in terms of the Philippine-U.S. relation?
01:08 Well, I wouldn't call it urgent, but it's important matters concerning our relationship with the United States.
01:15 Since I'm the ambassador, his ambassador to Washington, D.C., obviously I'd like to convey to him special messages coming from the White House and also from our friends in the U.S. Congress.
01:27 Let me ask you about, because yesterday the media interviewed the Chinese ambassador to Manila, Ambassador Wang Hsien-Yan,
01:37 and he accused the United States and other countries of instigating conflicts in the South China Sea following the Ayungin Sho incident.
01:47 He stated, and I quote, he said, "The United States and some other forces wish nothing but chaos in the South China Sea and continuously provoke."
01:57 So, he's saying that the Philippines is not looking for trouble in this area. As the Philippines' top diplomat in the U.S., how do you respond to this claim, sir?
02:07 Well, it's very simple. The question is, who is the one that is using water cannons and lasers with our Coast Guard and giving our fishermen a hard time?
02:18 Now, which country is doing that? Everybody knows what the answer to that is now.
02:22 We are not looking for trouble. It's trouble that is coming to our shores. These are our shores.
02:28 Ayungin Sho is part and parcel of the Philippine territory, and we have to protect it. That's as simple as that.
02:35 Now, I don't know what the Chinese ambassador is talking about, that there are other forces.
02:40 We have a mutual defense treaty with the United States. We have a visiting forces agreement. We have an EDCA agreement with the United States.
02:47 It's been there long before any of these problems came about, especially the mutual defense treaty.
02:52 So we are just simply using this treaty to be able to reinforce our defense strategy, which is all there is to it, really.
03:01 No one is looking for trouble. The question is, who is doing the trouble? Or who is making trouble? That's a better thing to say. Who is the one?
03:14 Sir, let me ask you about the recent historic engagement that happened at Camp David.
03:24 What specific measures or provisions would benefit the Philippines from the recently concluded trilateral summit between the US, Japan, and South Korea,
03:38 all of whom, as we know, are allied countries of the Philippines, particularly, sir, in relation to promoting peace and stability in the South China Sea and upholding the 2016 arbitral ruling?
03:51 Well, the statement tells it all. This is the first time that especially the Republic of Korea, South Korea, actually issued a joint statement with Japan and the United States.
04:04 Number one, of course, they support us in our effort to make sure that our territorial waters, our sovereign rights are protected, and they support us completely on that one.
04:16 And we have so many other countries, JP, that are supporting us.
04:20 You know, no one country really in his right mind would go against what is clearly a sovereign right of a country like the Philippines.
04:32 And this is an opportunity that doesn't come all the time. In other words, the support that we have is almost 100 percent coming from many nations all over the world.
04:41 And I think the Camp David meeting is just one of the many that we will see in the future that support our effort to make sure that we are respected, our sovereign rights are respected, especially in the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.
04:59 Sir, the National Security Council, so we talked to the ADG Malaya, he stated that the joint patrol operations between the US and the Philippines are likely to take place before the end of the year.
05:16 Sir, can you please provide an update as of today on any significant progress made so far?
05:23 Well, the United States has already prepared the plan as far as the participation of the United States. That's the information that I...
05:31 We're just waiting, they are just waiting now for our national defense to give the go signal or if there's any new conditions or in terms of engagement, so to speak, on this joint patrol.
05:43 But that's not only with the United States. Remember, we're also talking to Japan, we're also talking to South Korea, and now we're even engaging our conversation with Vietnam,
05:54 who is also a claimant. But at the same time, they would like to be able to resolve issues surrounding this area as peacefully as possible, but working together in making sure that this area remains free from any kind of dominance from any country.
06:11 But sir, the joint patrol operations with... Yes, as you said, we're engaging with talks with other countries, allied countries.
06:21 But the US and the US, because this is what we've been waiting for, does it look like it will really happen by the end of the year?
06:29 What is that? Will they be sailing together? What is the discussion? Will they cross the West Philippine Sea? Is that it? Or is it just a patrol?
06:39 Well, I think joint patrol really means what it is. It's a joint effort. We have to have side by side working with our allies like the United States and other countries.
06:50 And to be able to patrol the area, making sure that nobody is harassing any other country as whatever they're supposed to be doing, especially our fishermen, which is really the more important one for us.
07:03 There are many other issues on what's happening in our area. The environment is being destroyed. And then of course, we have a right to areas where we will do exploration for oil and gas.
07:23 We need all of that and that is ours. And we have been delaying and delaying all of these things. So we need to be able to start moving along those lines on how we can use these resources that we have because we need it ourselves.
07:39 And we don't need to ask permission from any country because it is ours. That's all there is to it.
07:45 The NTF, the Task Force on the West Philippine Sea and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said recently last week that what the government of the Philippines wants to do is to create a gas field in the West Philippine Sea.
08:03 Do you think it will... Of course, China will be involved and they're very vocal about that. But what can you say about that? Do you see that really happening?
08:13 Whatever it is that happens, the bottom line is that we have a legal right to all of these areas that is being questioned by a country like China.
08:23 Now, if they seriously want to be able to talk to us and recognizing the arbitral award and recognizing our territorial waters, then we have something to talk about.
08:34 But if they keep on pushing us and telling us that it's not yours, it is ours, and we have to ask permission from them, then there's nothing to talk about.
08:41 That's all there is to it. I have been saying this all along from day one, that we have reached out to them on many occasions, but nothing happened.
08:51 Now it's time for us to really make a move. And the move is very simple. We have to start moving in the direction that many of our people are waiting for.
09:01 The support of our countrymen all over the world, I'm not talking only here, Filipinos all over the world are very supportive of our relationship with the United States
09:12 and that we should move in the direction to protect our territorial rights and our sovereign dignity.
09:20 The continuation of the discussion on the ASIC level of the Code of Conduct is happening now in Manila.
09:31 So they're talking, I think it's the 40th and almost 20 years in discussion on that.
09:38 The Chinese ambassador told in a speech yesterday that China wants to believe in the COC and they will commit to accelerate the talks to have a productive COC.
09:57 Sir, what do you think of the word accelerate? Do you think it can really happen? What is the position of the United States when it comes to the COC?
10:11 What can they say to your ambassador?
10:14 Well, number one, there's a saying or it's a simple, what you call this, a simple quote, "Action speaks louder than words."
10:25 So we need to have action to be taken by China if they really want to speed up the Code of Conduct.
10:31 Number two, the Code of Conduct must have no single country that will be excluded or included. It should be all encompassed.
10:40 And this is a Code of Conduct with the ASEAN countries and countries that will respect the freedom of navigation.
10:50 If a country does not respect that, then they should not be included in this Code of Conduct.
10:55 It's as simple as that again. It's really a matter of now seeing what you are saying.
11:03 Action speaks louder than words. We have been waiting for this. Like I said, it's been what, almost 20 years.
11:10 We cannot keep on going and going around in circles all the time.
11:14 So if the Chinese ambassador has said that, we're very happy that he said that and that they mean what they say.
11:21 That's what's important right now. We need to have action instead of just simply mere words.
11:28 Right. Speaking of the Chinese ambassador, he also claimed yesterday that there had been no problem with the delivery of humanitarian supplies to BRP Sierra Madre in Yungin Shoal
11:42 until the Philippine side brought in large-scale building materials.
11:47 Firstly, the Philippine government has neither confirmed nor denied bringing in construction materials.
11:54 However, if they did, Ambassador, as a top diplomat in America and an official of the DFA,
12:02 does China have the right to question or prevent the Philippines from bringing in or bringing such materials into areas within our EEZ?
12:12 Technically, no. It's our right. It's like somebody is telling us how to renovate our house.
12:19 If it's our house, then we have a right to say. Not anyone can tell us how we're going to renovate that particular house.
12:26 And in our case, we're probably just simply making sure that that ship that is there right now is not going to sink because it's an old shipwreck.
12:36 And we're maintaining it because we're occupying that area with our Marines there.
12:43 And that's the reason why we're bringing supplies.
12:45 Now, if we're bringing material to be able to strengthen it, that is no concern for anyone except ourselves.
12:51 Again, that's a simple thing to understand. And no one, any country, if it is explained that this is what we're doing,
13:03 they're not going to say, "No, you shouldn't be doing that."
13:05 There's only one person who can say that it's not allowed. That's us. That is really why the funny part about that we're accepting that kind of language or somebody telling us.
13:21 We just simply tell them we're doing what we want to do with what is ours.
13:25 Sir, because of your position and the position you hold, there have been reports of fake news being spread about you,
13:37 believed to be part of black propaganda, campaign against you.
13:41 Could you, I'm sorry sir, we don't understand fake news.
13:47 But could you please provide specific examples of this incidents and how is the Philippine Embassy and the DFA addressing these attacks?
13:57 Well, as I mentioned on many interviews, that our really major problem now is cybersecurity.
14:04 Many of our communication systems, our emails and our telephones and all kinds of communications is now severely compromised.
14:16 That is the real issue there.
14:18 I mean, all of this fake news that happens all the time, but the fact that they were able to access that kind of information and copy, copy, paste.
14:32 But there's a lot of technology now that's being used extensively.
14:37 And all of that fake news is meant to destabilize our country.
14:46 Now, clearly they want to get rid of me because I'm supposed to be very effective as ambassador.
14:51 I'm very flattered that people think that way.
14:55 But even if it does not mean the ambassador to the United States, it's still the same thing.
15:00 We will be doing what we're doing right now, strengthening our relationship with a major ally like the United States.
15:06 Now, I happen to be in the United States right now.
15:09 I do have a lot of personal friends in Washington, D.C., both from the Republican and the Democratic parties.
15:16 That is an advantage that perhaps I have.
15:19 And maybe that's the reason why they feel that they should get rid of me.
15:23 But I don't think that, I don't think, number one, the appointing officer, which is the president, will listen to that kind of hogwash.
15:34 What's important is that we are cognizant of the fact that we have a country that is trying to destabilize us,
15:40 sending information sometimes picked up by some people in media that is definitely and patently false,
15:49 which is basically defending what is obviously not true.
15:55 Like, for instance, that the Ayugan Shoal shipwreck was supposed to be removed.
15:59 But there is no document to show that.
16:01 They are getting documents that they are now putting together.
16:05 Like, this is what I'm saying, that they can make things appear as if it's really an official one.
16:11 And that is when the real, that is my real fear and the fear that we should all have,
16:16 is that cybersecurity is going to be the problem of the future.
16:21 If we do not secure our cyberspace, we have a major problem.
16:27 Because there, anything can happen.
16:29 As you know, drones are now controlled through technology.
16:33 And drones is a weapon.
16:35 It can be a weapon of mass destruction.
16:38 It's being used right now in Ukraine.
16:41 So, this is something that we cannot dismiss anymore.
16:45 This is very serious what we are facing right now.
16:49 And everyone must realize that we have to now band together,
16:54 making sure that no one country can ever, ever take over our country.
17:00 And that is what I mean by, if we do not do anything about it, then we will lose a country.
17:06 But we are doing something about it.
17:08 That's the good part.
17:10 President Marcos is well aware of the cyberspace security problem that we have.
17:15 We're bringing in experts to be able to assess the situation and to be able to protect that.
17:20 That is number one, and that is a priority of President Marcos.
17:25 So, I think that we can at least take comfort in the fact that he's taking action
17:31 on something as important as cybersecurity.
17:34 And there's been, you know, the false information, you think it's just, "Oh, they're just teachers."
17:41 But, you know, false information can also precipitate major problems for us.
17:46 Like I said, there's technology that can now get into your telephone,
17:51 and a message can go to your phone that it comes, let's say, from me to you, JP,
17:56 that we have declared war, but it didn't come from me.
18:00 And then you'll start announcing it, and everybody will start panicking.
18:04 You're ma'a ganyan.
18:05 These are things that we really have to think about, really.
18:08 And this is very, very, very serious.
18:11 I cannot overemphasize how important it is that all of us now have to be aware of this kind of situation that we have,
18:20 and that we all have to work together.
18:24 Now, if there are other people in our country that are doing something that is obviously not good for our national interest,
18:32 then we have to do something about that.
18:34 We cannot allow them to just continue to do that.
18:38 In other words, we cannot allow our fellow countrymen to join our fight.
18:45 We will not allow that.
18:47 Yes.
18:48 Are the threats to cybersecurity behind this a big country?
18:56 Well, you know, the cybersecurity problem, like CRASHA for instance,
19:03 was able to do something in the United States, their power plant.
19:09 I'm not quite, I already, this happened not too long ago.
19:16 They were able to penetrate the power plant or something that was supplying power to a large part of the United States.
19:27 That was worrisome for the United States.
19:29 And we were vulnerable to that.
19:31 They can, if our technology is the kind of technology that it can easily penetrate,
19:37 like a simple thing like, well not even simple, if they can penetrate into our skies using technology,
19:46 they can direct an aircraft to crash into, let's say, a highly populated area in Quezon City.
19:53 That can happen.
19:55 That is how serious our problem is with cybersecurity.
19:59 It is something that we cannot just simply ignore.
20:03 It is something that we have to really work on.
20:06 And any country that has the technology to be able to do that, and we know there is, then we really are in trouble.
20:14 And that's why, as I said, we are now working with like-minded countries to secure our cyberspace.
20:25 Okay. Ambassador, I may just briefly shift to another topic that I'm sure you are aware of.
20:33 The Migrant Workers Secretary, Susan Ople, has sadly recently passed on.
20:39 Do you have any message to the family?
20:42 Or what do you, how would you like to describe her, if you had the chance to work with her?
20:50 Well, I only had a brief time with the late Secretary Ople.
20:54 I'm very sad to hear that because I know that she's such a fine lady.
20:58 I know she cares about our workers.
21:01 You know that the father of overseas workers is her father.
21:05 And I knew Secretary Blas Ople quite well.
21:08 I spent quite a lot of time with him when I was a news reporter.
21:11 And I had a very high respect for Secretary Blas Ople, who died when he was Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
21:21 So this family, the Ople family, is a family that really loves workers.
21:27 They started, Secretary Ople was the brains behind the overseas workers to protect our overseas workers.
21:34 It became such a large industry in a way, but also making sure to protect our workers whenever they're deployed abroad.
21:44 And we've been able to move that forward.
21:47 And of course, being the first Secretary of Migrant Workers, Secretary Susan Ople, is just, was a perfect match.
21:57 It was a perfect appointment made by President Marcos.
22:01 And it's really sad that she passed away.
22:05 I really wish the family or give them my deepest sympathy.
22:11 And I hope that we find somebody that can try to fill in her shoes and her father's shoes also.
22:19 Last one before I let you go. I know, we understand, we know that America and the Philippines decided that this is not a diplomatic issue or matter.
22:32 But regarding the Smithsonian, are there any updates to that?
22:37 I'm sure since you're in Washington, D.C., sir, that's our Philippine office.
22:43 Is there a significant update as of today? Is there a timeline on how to bring the remains or the part of that, the one you're talking about?
22:58 Well, we actually are waiting for word from our National Museum. I think, yes, if I'm not mistaken, I, you know, senior moment, I forgot the name of the person that we're talking to.
23:13 But we're going to find a way to be able to bring back those remains because if they're Filipinos, they're obviously, we should bury them here and we'll find a way to be able to do that.
23:25 Hopefully, we can resolve it in the quickest way possible.
23:29 That's how it is now, sir, they're bringing back those kinds of, what does it say, what's the meaning of bringing it back?
23:40 Well, what happened in the past is already finished. We know the origin of what happened during those times where they used some of these corpses to do scientific research of some sort.
23:58 But now, I think we all want to find a way to be able to peacefully bury these remains of many of our citizens or Filipino Americans perhaps and that they will rest in peace.
24:18 Sir, any last words? How would you like to end this conversation? Message to those who are under cyber attack and if you have hacked your email or phone, if you have such a message.
24:33 Well, for me, I'm just hoping that all our citizens will be aware of what's happening to our country. We have to all band together because this is the biggest challenge we ever faced in many years, perhaps decades.
24:54 The last one was, of course, World War II, which you were not even born yet. And we don't want any country to be able to dominate or to occupy our country.
25:07 And we have to be careful with the kind of news that's being spread sometimes through the telephone and everything. We cannot believe it anymore. We cannot take it to a client and sinker because it's not funny anymore when they are able to manipulate and put stories or something.
25:29 Me, I'm prepared for that because I'm a public official. So a lot of these things can happen. I'm prepared to take whatever it is, even if it is an attack on my integrity and my reputation.
25:44 I'm willing to face up to it because I want to serve our country. And for as long as the president wants me to stay in Washington, D.C., I'll do everything and anything to be able to protect the interests of our country because I don't want to lose a country.
25:58 That's as simple as that. I want to live here when all is said and done, and I'm going to die in the Philippines. I've had opportunities to live abroad many, many times, but I'm not going to give up on one thing.
26:12 This is my country, our country, and we will do everything to protect it with our own, with our lives. And that is my feeling. And I hope that many Filipinos feel the same way.
26:24 And I know they do. And I know they do. Even Filipino-Americans who are already comfortable in the United States, they love our country. They want to help in any way they can.
26:37 They love our country. You know, as my father used to say, there is only one Philippines. This is our country. We should take care of it. And we should not allow any one country to push us around.
26:51 Ambassador, thank you for your time as always.