The US said it’s monitoring the results of the elections in which Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., the son and namesake of the late dictator, is poised to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte based on partial and unofficial tally from the Commission on Elections.
“We’re monitoring the election results, and we look forward to renewing our special partnership and to working with the next administration on key human rights and regional priorities,” said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a press briefing. “As I said, we look forward to working with the president-elect, once that person is officially named, to strengthen the enduring alliance between the United States and the Philippines.”
Price said that respect for human rights and the rule of law is “fundamental to US relations with the Philippines and in other bilateral contexts as well.”
With over 98% of votes already transmitted, data from Comelec shows that Marcos still maintains a big lead with 31 million votes against his rival Vice President Leni Robredo with 14 million votes.
“What I can say from a technical standpoint is that we understand the casting and counting of votes to have been conducted in line with international standards and without significant incident,” said Price.
Since he took the leadership in 2016, outgoing president Duterte has been a vocal critic of the United States while personally allowing closer ties with China.
Marcos, meanwhile, faces the risk of being required to appear in court if he enters the U.S. to explain his non-compliance to a class suit ruling against his family in favor of martial law victims. Refusal to attend could result in his detention for contempt of court.
“We look forward to working with the president-elect on the shared values and the shared interests that have united our countries across generations,” said Price.
Despite this, Marcos had said it would not affect his foreign policy if elected.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11) — The United States is looking forward to working with the next Philippine administration on “key human rights and regional priorities,” the State Department said Tuesday.
