While the United States holds significant interests in its engagement with the Philippines, a political analyst on Tuesday argued for an independent foreign policy and reduced reliance on its longtime Western ally.
Aries Arugay, chairperson of the University of the Philippines (UP) Department of Political Science, issued this statement as US President Donald Trump resumes his ‘America First’ policies.
Arugay described the Republican leader’s foreign policy as “highly unpredictable” and “transactional,” considering his “strongman” tendencies. He said the Philippines should stay ready for potential geopolitical shifts.
“I do think it’s also important the Philippines prepares for contingency, just in case the US doesn’t remain committed to the alliance,” the UP professor said during an interview with ANC News.
“The Philippines must be able not to totally just rely on the US for its defense security as well as its economic goals, but to make sure that its foreign policy is not totally dependent on any power in the world,” he added.
Arugay suggested the Philippines should focus on cultivating relationships not only with the US President, but also with his cabinet members and other high-ranking officials.
He also addressed the immigration policies likely to dominate Trump’s agenda, pointing out their potential impact on the Philippines.
In his inaugural speech and early executive orders, Trump signaled a crackdown on illegal immigration, including revoking birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.
“According to our Department of Migrant Workers, there are around 300,000 to 370,000 undocumented Filipinos in the US. That’s no small number. And we also know that during the first Trump administration, thousands of undocumented Filipinos have been removed from US soil,” Arugay said.
“This is something that the country needs to prepare, and I do hope that our government is prepared in such a case that thousands, if not tens of thousands of Filipinos, will have to be removed from the United States and will have to be forced to go back to the Philippines,” he added.