[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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