[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 481 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 481

   Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the United States-Philippines 
    Mutual Defense Treaty and the vitality of the overall bilateral 
                             relationship.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2012

 Mr. Lugar (for himself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Webb, Ms. Ayotte, 
Mr. Cochran, and Mr. Inouye) submitted the following resolution; which 
                      was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the United States-Philippines 
    Mutual Defense Treaty and the vitality of the overall bilateral 
                             relationship.

Whereas Filipinos and Americans fought together in World War II, and an 
        estimated 1,000,000 Filipinos gave their lives to defend freedom;
Whereas the United States and the Republic of the Philippines signed the United 
        States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951;
Whereas the Philippines and the United States are longstanding allies, as 
        demonstrated by the Mutual Defense Treaty, cooperation in conflicts 
        since World War II, and the United States designation of the Philippines 
        as a Major Non-NATO Ally;
Whereas the Clark Veterans Cemetery in the Philippines is the final resting 
        place for the remains of thousands of United States and Filipino 
        veterans from the United States Army, United States Marines Corps, 
        United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Coast Guard, 
        Philippine Scouts, and their dependents from seven wars since 1900;
Whereas the United States Government administered and cared for the Clark 
        Veterans Cemetery from 1900 to 1991;
Whereas the United States Government seeks to maintain an alliance with the 
        Government of the Philippines that promotes peace and stability in 
        Southeast and East Asia, rule of law and human rights, economic growth, 
        counter-terrorism efforts, and maritime security;
Whereas United States naval ships visit Philippines' ports, and the United 
        States and Philippines' military forces participate in combined military 
        exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement established in 1998;
Whereas the people and Governments of the United States and the Philippines 
        share a common interest in maintaining freedom of navigation, unimpeded 
        lawful commerce, and transit of people across the seas and subscribe to 
        a rules-based approach in resolving competing claims in maritime areas 
        through peaceful, collaborative, multilateral, and diplomatic processes 
        within the framework of international law;
Whereas the Philippines has served ably for the past three years as the 
        Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) country coordinator for 
        the United States;
Whereas the United States Government and the Government of the Philippines work 
        closely together in the struggle against terrorism to make local 
        communities safer and help establish an environment conducive to good 
        governance and development;
Whereas the navy of the Government of the Philippines has received a United 
        States Coast Guard cutter and assistance in establishing a coastal radar 
        system to enhance its monitoring of its waters, with a second cutter due 
        to be transferred soon;
Whereas the United States Government works closely with the Government of the 
        Philippines on humanitarian and disaster relief activities, and in the 
        past has provided prompt assistance to make United States troops, 
        equipment, assets, and disaster relief assistance available;
Whereas the Mutual Defense Board and the Security Engagement Board serve as 
        important platforms for the continuing stability of the long-standing 
        alliance between the Philippines and the United States in a rapidly 
        changing global and regional environment;
Whereas the Bilateral Security Dialogue is an important policy venue for setting 
        the policy direction and providing guidance for all aspects of the 
        alliance relationship;
Whereas Philippines military forces have supported over the years many United 
        Nations peacekeeping operations worldwide;
Whereas the United States ranks as one of the Philippines' top trading partners, 
        with 11 percent of the Philippines' imports coming from the United 
        States and 15 percent of exports from the Philippines delivered to the 
        United States in 2010;
Whereas total United States foreign direct investment in the Philippines was 
        approximately $7,000,000,000 at the end of 2009;
Whereas the Philippines is one of four countries that has been invited to 
        participate in the new Partnership for Growth Initiative, which promotes 
        broad-based economic growth in emerging markets;
Whereas many Americans and Filipinos have participated in people-to-people 
        programs such as the Peace Corps, the International Visitor Leadership 
        Programs, the Aquino Fellowship, Eisenhower Fellowships, and the 
        Fulbright Scholar Program;
Whereas an estimated 4,000,000 people living in the United States are of 
        Filipino ancestry, over 300,000 United States citizens live in the 
        Philippines, and an estimated 600,000 United States citizens travel to 
        the Philippines each year;
Whereas the U.S.-Philippines Society was recently established to broaden and 
        expand interaction between and understanding of the United States and 
        the Philippines in the areas of security, trade, investments, tourism, 
        the environment, history, education, and culture;
Whereas the alliance between the United States and the Philippines is founded on 
        core values that aim to promote and preserve democracy, freedom, peace, 
        and justice, and is fortified by the two nations' partnerships in 
        defending these values;
Whereas the Government of the Philippines seeks to improve governance, 
        strengthen the rule of law, and further develop accountable, democratic 
        institutions that can better safeguard human rights, secure justice, and 
        promote equitable economic development;
Whereas His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Republic of the 
        Philippines, is scheduled to visit the United States in June 2012; and
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta 
        met with their Philippine counterparts in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 
        2012, and reaffirmed that the United States and the Philippines are 
        longstanding allies, that the United States Government is fully 
        committed to honoring mutual obligations with the Philippines, and that 
        the alliance continues to serve as a pillar of the Philippines-United 
        States relationship and a source of stability in the region: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the Senate--
                    (A) celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the United 
                States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and the 
                vitality of the overall bilateral relationship;
                    (B) confirms the alliance's centrality and enduring 
                value as one of the key pillars of peace, stability, 
                and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and as a key 
                tool in addressing the emerging security environment in 
                the region; and
                    (C) encourages both countries to continue high-
                level consultations; and
            (2) it is the sense of the Senate that--
                    (A) the United States Government should use the 
                U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Security Dialogue and the 
                Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board to 
                promote greater alliance cooperation and enhance 
                bilateral security ties, including support for 
                Philippine defense modernization, for the rotational 
                presence of United States Armed Forces in the 
                Philippines and for increased humanitarian and disaster 
                relief preparedness activities;
                    (B) the United States Government should redouble 
                efforts to expand and deepen the economic relationship 
                with the Government of the Philippines toward achieving 
                broad-based economic development in that country, 
                including by working on new bilateral initiatives that 
                support the efforts of the Government of the 
                Philippines to reform its economy and enhance its 
                competitiveness, and through trade-capacity building;
                    (C) the Government of the Philippines should 
                continue its efforts to strengthen its democratic 
                institutions to fight corruption, curtail politically 
                motivated violence and extrajudicial killings, expand 
                economic opportunity, and tackle internal security 
                challenges;
                    (D) after close consultation with the Government of 
                the Philippines, the United States Government should 
                designate an appropriate United States entity to be 
                responsible for making necessary arrangements to ensure 
                ongoing maintenance of Clark Veterans Cemetery in the 
                Philippines; and
                    (E) the United States Government should continue 
                efforts to assist the Government of the Philippines in 
                the areas of maritime security, maritime domain 
                awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, 
                and related communications infrastructure to enable 
                enhanced information-sharing and overall military 
                professionalization.
                                 <all>