Visit of Philippines' president Aquino

US Department of State Bulletin,  Dec, 1986  

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Visit of Philippines' President Aquino

President Corazon C. Aquino of theRepublic of the Philippines made an official working visit to Washington, D.C., September 15-19, 1986, to meet with President Reagan and other government officials.

Following are remarks made by thetwo Presidents after their meeting on September 17.(1)

President Regan

It was truly a pleasure to welcome andmeet today with Philippine President Corazon Aquino. Her courage and her commitment to democracy, mirroring those same qualities in the Filipino people, have inspired the world, and it's been an honor to have her as our guest.

President Aquino and I discussed herstrenuous efforts to bolster the democratic institutions of her country and to ensure its security and strengthen its economy. And I assured her that all America wants the Philippine democracy to succeed and to prosper and that we'll do what we can to help.

These have been trying times in thePhilippines. President Aquino has been overseeing a historic transition. In the coming months a new constitution will be submitted which will pave the way for strong, democratically elected local and national governments. In the meantime, President Aquino has been doing her level best to unite her richly diverse people under a banner of freedom and opportunity.

Her efforts to reconcile all elementsof her society and bring them into the democratic process are applauded here. I might add that her personal bravery in this heroic endeavor to diffuse conflict has won the hearts and imagination of the people everywhere.

Despite President Aquino's efforts,however, well-armed communist guerrillas remain a threat to democracy in the Philippines. President Aquino and I discussed her strategy to meet this challenge. It includes attacking the root political, economic, and social problems that feed insurgencies. The second half of the formula is building the Philippine military into a professional, properly armed and trained force that is capable of dealing with any threat.

The United States stands ready toassist President Aquino in her quest to create a stable and secure land as well as in her commitment to invigorate the Philippine economy.

During our discussion today, PresidentAquino reaffirmed her belief that free enterprise is the surest path to development, the surest method of opening the door of opportunity and advancement to all her people. Her government stands for free trade and is encouraging private investment. She knows in the long run nothing would better serve the Filipino people than unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit and putting the creative and economy-building power of the marketplace to work.

As one might surmise after hearingthis, I'm bullish on the Philippines. I would hope American as well as foreign investors take notice of the incredible opportunity to help build a country. For our part, we will mold our efforts to encourage development in the Philippines. Today, for example, we discussed the idea of increasing Philippine exports to the United States, including improved treatment under our generalized system of preferences. We also considered ways in which the Philippines can provide a larger share of the goods and services consumed by the U.S. military facilities within that country.

And just a side note, when talkingabout those bases, our two countries share common interests in the peace and stability of the Pacific region. I'm confident that we will continue to enjoy a strong mutual defense relationship for the foreseeable future. President Aquino reaffirmed today that the military bases agreement will be respected through its current term. I understand and am comfortable with her position. The next review of our defense relations is scheduled in 1988, and that gives us and the people of the Philippines plenty of time to think about it.

In the meantime, I will continue toask Congress for appropriate levels of economic and military assistance above and beyond existing U.S. base-related commitments. The latest installment of our current aid effort--a $100 million grant of economic support funds, which I'm pleased to announce will be signed by our respective Cabinet members in a few moments,2 a $50 million grant of military assistance, along with a $20 million package of medical supplies and services--has been approved.

In the future, to the largest extentpossible, future U.S. aid will be designed to provide the greatest benefit without exacerbating the country's debt burden.

And one last thought: Today governments,businesses, financial institutions, and individuals are dealing with a new kind of government in the Philippines. We're dealing with a noble and honest people--people with ideals, people we can trust. And we place a high value on character and hope everyone appreciates this and takes it into account.

A great Filipino hero, Dr. Jose Rizal,once wrote, "God is justice: He cannot abandon His cause, the cause of liberty, without which no justice is possible.' Well, Jose Rizal, like President Aquino's husband, died for freedom and inspired his nation.