Ni NOEL ABUEL
Inilatag ni House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez ang batayan para sa makasaysayang pagbisita ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. sa United States (US) para makipagpulong kay US President Joe Biden at iba pang opisyal ng US.
Ilang araw lamang bago ang pagbisita ni Pangulong Marcos, nagsimula si Romualdez sa dalawang linggong paglalakbay sa US upang makipagpulong sa mga mambabatas ng Amerika at talakayin ang pagtutulungan sa depensa at seguridad at pakikipagsosyo sa ekonomiya sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at US.
“I think the conditions are right for the meeting between President Bongbong Marcos and President Joe Biden. We have high hopes for the exchange of ideas between the two leaders and its outcome,” sabi ni Romualdez.
Sa kasalukuyan ay nasa US pa si Romualdez na patuloy na pakikipag-ugnayan sa kanyang katapat sa US, si Speaker Kevin McCarthy at iba pang mga mambabatas at opisyal ng Amerika.
Kabilang sa nakausap ni Romualdez at ng iba pang kasama nito sa delegasyon na sina Navotas City Rep. Tobias “Toby” Tiangco, Agusan del Norte 1st District Rep. Jose “Joboy” S. Aquino II, House Secretary General Reginald “Reggie” Velasco, at House Sergeant-at-Arms PMGEN Napoleon Taas, sina US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, at Representatives Young Kim, Mike Rogers, Darrell Issa, Ami Bera, at Chris Stewart.
Inilarawan nito ang kanyang pakikipagpulong sa Speaker ng US House of Representatives at iba pang mambabatas bilang “makasaysayan at mabunga.”
“Our meeting proved fruitful as the Philippine delegation managed to impress on Speaker McCarthy the need for the legislative representatives of the two countries to ramp up discussions on how to further boost US-Philippine relations,” sabi ng lider ng Kamara.
“Relations between our two countries remain strong. Our security alliance under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty is ironclad. Our economic partnership is robust. And the friendship between our two peoples is solid,” dagdag pa nito.
Inimbitahan ng pinuno ng Kamara ang kanyang katapat at ang ikatlong pinakamataas na opisyal ng US na bumisita sa Pilipinas sa lalong madaling panahon at dumalo sa pagho-host ng bansa ng Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF).
“Our message to the US legislators was clear. The US-Philippine ties are strong, and are reaching new heights and levels of understanding under the administrations of President Marcos and US President Joe Biden. Our defense and security arrangements are solid, and our bilateral strategic partnership is working,” aniya.
“However, we also pointed out the need to step up bilateral discussions on economic issues to make the benefits of this dynamic relationship more tangible tenfold for our people. We need to strengthen not only our defense cooperation, but also our economic partnership,” sa pahayag ni Romualdez.
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