Ambassador Babe Romualdez, the Philippine envoy to Washington since Duterte's time, talks about the shift in policy on China from the former president to incumbent President Bongbong Marcos.

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Ang tanong ko pala kay Ambassador, because you were also in Washington during the Duterte administration.

I've been observing your pronouncements. Mukha ba mas may breath of fresh air ngayon?

You can speak more freely about what is right in the West Philippine Sea?

Well, let's put it this way.

You know, being an ambassador and you're appointed, of course, by the President,

you follow what his thinking is.

So, my understanding of the thinking of then-President Duterte was,

we want to approach this whole problem with China in a different way,

which is basically to continue to talk to them.

Remember, there was no communication after we filed the case in the UNCLOS.

So, there was no high-level communication with China.

So, President Duterte changed the tact.

So, he wanted to approach China and let's talk about it, let's allow things,

let's allow our fishermen to bring.

And perhaps at that time, it was fine.

It was something that we wanted, that peaceful coexistence.

But then, continuous pa rin yung claim nila that they own this area.

Remember, from 9 naging 10, naging 11-9.

So, medyo, yan ang pwede natin sabihin, teka-teka muna.

Hindi yata ganyan ang usapan natin.

I mean, you know, you have to respect whatever our territories is,

given to us by the Arbitrary Award.

So, dun tayo, that's where we're starting with, now with President Marcos.

His pronouncement is, we will not give up one inch, one square inch of our territory.

Which is correct, because it's in our Constitution.

The President of the Republic of the Philippines is compelled to protect

the interests of the Philippines and protect our shores, our territories.

If he does otherwise, he is liable, constitutionally.

Did you feel a certain frustration nung time na yun, that you couldn't talk about these things?

Alam mo, not really.

Sa totoo lang, you know, when you're a diplomat, you try to, as best as you can,

to try to interpret what the foreign policy of the President is, who is the chief architect.

So, you interpret it in such a way that your hosts, which is the United States,

would understand.

They would understand what we're trying to do.

And to a certain extent, naiintindihan rin nila.

The only problem really was when we started to, well, when President Duterte

abrogated the visiting forces agreement.

That was a big thing for the United States.

Kasi that's very important in their whole strategy also.

And then EDCA was in trouble.

And of course, EDCA also was in trouble.

So, yun medyo, that's really, I would say that that's probably one of the challenging times.

But you know, maybe it's an act of God.

Karoon ng pandemic.

The pandemic was something that nobody expected.

And we needed to work with a country like the United States,

who obviously had the kind of vaccines that was needed for our people.

You know, so many people were dying of the pandemic.

So, I had to tell the President that we need to work with our ally

to be able to be given a, at least first, kasi you've got 200 plus countries,

who want the same thing.

Except, pag magkaibigan kayo, hindi unahin nila yung mga kanilang allies.

So, medyo na wala tayo ng konti doon.

Kailangan tayo bumalik sa linya.

Na-hirapan ba kayo bumalik sa linya?

To a certain extent, medyo, sa totoo lang, I mean, I don't want to really make a big thing out of it.

But I had a challenge.

I had to go to the White House.

I practically had to beg with them to help us.

Because, alam mo, marami tayong mga kaibigan that were calling,

kailan ba tayong magkakaroon ng vaccine?

Because everybody was waiting for it.

Kaya nga, nawala sa atin yung 10 million, if you remember,

that Pfizer that was being given to us in the beginning.

But for some reason, hindi nating tinuloy yun.

So, nawala sa atin, nakuha ng Singapore.

Medyo, siyempre, at saka, meron akong isang kaibigan,

sabi niya, kung dumating yung Pfizer, hindi namatay yung kapatid ko.

So, medyo, siyempre, may emotional feeling din tayo noon.

We're feeling bad about it.

So, talagang, I really had to tell our friends in the United States.

Talagang, tulungan ninyo kami, because this will go a long way.

We need your help at this time.

Because it's our people already that are suffering.

At sinabi ko kay Presidente, sabi ko sa kanya kay Presidente Duterte,

Sir, kailangan natin to work with them.

Not so many words. Balik na natin yung PFA.

At yun ang hiningi ng US.

Well, hindi naman in a direct way.

They will never tell you, you give us this, you'll give us that.

Liquid prokofi.

But there's always that.

I mean, that's reality of life.

There's no such thing as a free life.

There's no such thing as a free life.

Kumbaga alam nyo na.

Basically, yes.

And when you had to quote-unquote bend the White House,

how long before things were smoothened?

Well, I think, in fairness to Presidente Duterte,

he acted immediately because he knew that it's important for our people to get those vaccines.

So, the sooner we signed up, the better for us.

Ito rin ba yung time ambassador na major parang nag-lilo si Presidente Duterte sa mga banat niya sa US?

Well, probably, that could have been the reason why.

Alam mo, pag ganyan ang sitwasyon natin, namamatay ang mga tao,

eh wala ka nang, hindi mo nang iisipin yung ano bang makukuha natin.

Are we getting any arms that we need?

Hindi na eh.

Buhay na ang pinag-uusapan natin eh.

So, I think it was understood very clearly is,

the United States is one of the main,

suppliers for this important vaccine,

which is not available anywhere else except to the US and to other European countries.

We had to, we had to, we had to get it.

Yung initial challenge, ambassador, when the President, then Presidente Duterte, spoke in China, di ba?

Parang sabi, alista kami sa US, pupunta kami sa fold nyo.

I mean, how difficult was it for you to communicate or explain that with your hosts?

Well, I did not have to explain.

The fact of the matter is, they understood that Presidente Duterte had his feelings towards the United States.

They felt that way.

And so they accepted it.

My job was, as the President told me, just do your job.

So, I understood that to mean that I'll do my best to be able to assure our friends in the United States

that the relationship continues no matter what.

We will do our best to be able to come out to a situation

where our friendship will remain even if we're trying to reach out

as our policy then was friends to all and enemies to none.

Pero hindi naman tayo nang hahanap ng enemy.

Tayong ginagawang enemy.

So, I think now, very clearly, there's no question about it.

And everybody understands that the enemy is one that is being aggressive.

If you stop being aggressive, then you are a friend.

So, I think now, very clearly, there's no question about it.

Maraming maraming salamat po.