[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 5, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3737-S3738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CELEBRATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES-PHILIPPINES 
                         MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 481, submitted earlier 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 481) celebrating the 60th Anniversary 
     of the United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and 
     the vitality of the overall bilateral relationship.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the 
resolution, and I call for a vote.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the resolution.
  The resolution (S. Res. 481) was agreed to.
  Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to 
and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 481

       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;

[[Page S3738]]

       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.

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