00:40.0
Remember, there was no communication after we filed the case in the UNCLOS.
00:45.8
So, there was no high-level communication with China.
00:50.1
So, President Duterte changed the tact.
00:52.3
So, he wanted to approach China and let's talk about it, let's allow things,
00:56.4
let's allow our fishermen to bring.
01:00.0
And perhaps at that time, it was fine.
01:03.0
It was something that we wanted, that peaceful coexistence.
01:08.1
But then, continuous pa rin yung claim nila that they own this area.
01:14.6
Remember, from 9 naging 10, naging 11-9.
01:18.5
So, medyo, yan ang pwede natin sabihin, teka-teka muna.
01:22.6
Hindi yata ganyan ang usapan natin.
01:24.4
I mean, you know, you have to respect whatever our territories is,
01:29.4
given to us by the Arbitrary Award.
01:32.1
So, dun tayo, that's where we're starting with, now with President Marcos.
01:39.8
His pronouncement is, we will not give up one inch, one square inch of our territory.
01:45.9
Which is correct, because it's in our Constitution.
01:49.8
The President of the Republic of the Philippines is compelled to protect
01:53.9
the interests of the Philippines and protect our shores, our territories.
01:59.4
If he does otherwise, he is liable, constitutionally.
02:04.8
Did you feel a certain frustration nung time na yun, that you couldn't talk about these things?
02:09.4
Alam mo, not really.
02:10.7
Sa totoo lang, you know, when you're a diplomat, you try to, as best as you can,
02:16.8
to try to interpret what the foreign policy of the President is, who is the chief architect.
02:23.5
So, you interpret it in such a way that your hosts, which is the United States,
02:27.9
would understand.
02:29.4
They would understand what we're trying to do.
02:31.2
And to a certain extent, naiintindihan rin nila.
02:34.8
The only problem really was when we started to, well, when President Duterte
02:40.0
abrogated the visiting forces agreement.
02:43.0
That was a big thing for the United States.
02:44.9
Kasi that's very important in their whole strategy also.
02:47.6
And then EDCA was in trouble.
02:48.9
And of course, EDCA also was in trouble.
02:50.8
So, yun medyo, that's really, I would say that that's probably one of the challenging times.
02:56.4
But you know, maybe it's an act of God.
02:59.4
Karoon ng pandemic.
03:00.8
The pandemic was something that nobody expected.
03:04.5
And we needed to work with a country like the United States,
03:09.3
who obviously had the kind of vaccines that was needed for our people.
03:15.0
You know, so many people were dying of the pandemic.
03:18.4
So, I had to tell the President that we need to work with our ally
03:23.1
to be able to be given a, at least first, kasi you've got 200 plus countries,
03:29.4
who want the same thing.
03:31.3
Except, pag magkaibigan kayo, hindi unahin nila yung mga kanilang allies.
03:35.8
So, medyo na wala tayo ng konti doon.
03:37.9
Kailangan tayo bumalik sa linya.
03:40.0
Na-hirapan ba kayo bumalik sa linya?
03:41.7
To a certain extent, medyo, sa totoo lang, I mean, I don't want to really make a big thing out of it.
03:47.5
But I had a challenge.
03:49.6
I had to go to the White House.
03:51.0
I practically had to beg with them to help us.
03:53.9
Because, alam mo, marami tayong mga kaibigan that were calling,
03:57.6
kailan ba tayong magkakaroon ng vaccine?
03:59.4
Because everybody was waiting for it.
04:01.8
Kaya nga, nawala sa atin yung 10 million, if you remember,
04:04.2
that Pfizer that was being given to us in the beginning.
04:06.8
But for some reason, hindi nating tinuloy yun.
04:10.0
So, nawala sa atin, nakuha ng Singapore.
04:13.1
Medyo, siyempre, at saka, meron akong isang kaibigan,
04:15.9
sabi niya, kung dumating yung Pfizer, hindi namatay yung kapatid ko.
04:19.9
So, medyo, siyempre, may emotional feeling din tayo noon.
04:24.0
We're feeling bad about it.
04:25.5
So, talagang, I really had to tell our friends in the United States.
04:29.4
Talagang, tulungan ninyo kami, because this will go a long way.
04:31.8
We need your help at this time.
04:33.6
Because it's our people already that are suffering.
04:35.8
At sinabi ko kay Presidente, sabi ko sa kanya kay Presidente Duterte,
04:39.5
Sir, kailangan natin to work with them.
04:42.7
Not so many words. Balik na natin yung PFA.
04:46.3
At yun ang hiningi ng US.
04:48.5
Well, hindi naman in a direct way.
04:50.6
They will never tell you, you give us this, you'll give us that.
04:54.1
But there's always that.
04:56.0
I mean, that's reality of life.
04:58.3
There's no such thing as a free life.
04:59.4
There's no such thing as a free life.
05:00.1
Kumbaga alam nyo na.
05:04.3
And when you had to quote-unquote bend the White House,
05:08.0
how long before things were smoothened?
05:11.5
Well, I think, in fairness to Presidente Duterte,
05:15.1
he acted immediately because he knew that it's important for our people to get those vaccines.
05:20.8
So, the sooner we signed up, the better for us.
05:23.9
Ito rin ba yung time ambassador na major parang nag-lilo si Presidente Duterte sa mga banat niya sa US?
05:29.4
Well, probably, that could have been the reason why.
05:33.7
Alam mo, pag ganyan ang sitwasyon natin, namamatay ang mga tao,
05:40.4
eh wala ka nang, hindi mo nang iisipin yung ano bang makukuha natin.
05:46.4
Are we getting any arms that we need?
05:51.6
Buhay na ang pinag-uusapan natin eh.
05:53.4
So, I think it was understood very clearly is,
05:57.0
the United States is one of the main,
05:59.4
suppliers for this important vaccine,
06:03.7
which is not available anywhere else except to the US and to other European countries.
06:08.7
We had to, we had to, we had to get it.
06:11.4
Yung initial challenge, ambassador, when the President, then Presidente Duterte, spoke in China, di ba?
06:17.8
Parang sabi, alista kami sa US, pupunta kami sa fold nyo.
06:20.9
I mean, how difficult was it for you to communicate or explain that with your hosts?
06:27.9
Well, I did not have to explain.
06:29.4
The fact of the matter is, they understood that Presidente Duterte had his feelings towards the United States.
06:35.4
They felt that way.
06:37.3
And so they accepted it.
06:39.3
My job was, as the President told me, just do your job.
06:43.2
So, I understood that to mean that I'll do my best to be able to assure our friends in the United States
06:51.0
that the relationship continues no matter what.
06:53.8
We will do our best to be able to come out to a situation
06:58.7
where our friendship will remain even if we're trying to reach out
07:02.1
as our policy then was friends to all and enemies to none.
07:07.1
Pero hindi naman tayo nang hahanap ng enemy.
07:09.3
Tayong ginagawang enemy.
07:10.8
So, I think now, very clearly, there's no question about it.
07:16.5
And everybody understands that the enemy is one that is being aggressive.
07:24.1
If you stop being aggressive, then you are a friend.
07:28.7
So, I think now, very clearly, there's no question about it.
07:58.7
Maraming maraming salamat po.
