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Philippines
Thursday, February 20, 2025
26.1 C
Philippines
Thursday, February 20, 2025

Marcos meet with Trump in the works

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President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. confirmed that a meeting with United States President Donald Trump is in the works, citing the need to discuss the latter’s new policies on defense, trade and immigration.

Speaking to reporters in Cebu, the President acknowledged concerns over the temporary freezing of U.S. aid programs worldwide and said he would seek clarity on how this relates to the Philippines.

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“The U.S. has frozen aid, but I will meet with President Trump because there is much we need to discuss—trade, defense, security, and now the new policy on immigration,” Mr. Marcos said.

“It’s hard to comment because it’s still unclear,” he added.

Asked about the meeting between Mr. Marcos and Trump, Presidential Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez said that there is still no definite date.

The Chief Executive said that a one-on-one meeting with the American leader would shed light on many unanswered questions amid a radical pivot in U.S. foreign policy under Trump.

“Even agencies in the U.S. government don’t fully understand what this means, what will be affected, or where the aid funds will be reduced,” he noted.

Mr. Marcos described the current situation in the U.S. as part of the “growing pains” of a new administration in Washington, expressing confidence that the policies will eventually become clearer.

“With time, these policies will crystalize, and by then, I will have the opportunity to visit President Trump and discuss them with a better understanding of what they entail,” the President said.

He also noted that hundreds of Filipinos have reportedly been expelled from the U.S. in the past week, as he stressed the importance of addressing immigration policies that directly affect Filipinos working there.

“We have to work through this and hopefully resolve it because Filipinos in the US play a crucial role in their workforce,” Mr. Marcos explained.

“We will see how we can influence policy making in terms of immigration,” he added.

Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Marcos open to meeting Trump amid US aid freeze concerns”

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