    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [November 22, 1993]
    [Pages 2047-2052]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 2047]]

    The President's News Conference With President Fidel Ramos of the
    Philippines
    November 22, 1993

        President Clinton. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I want to
    read this statement about the meeting I have just concluded with
    President Ramos, and then we'll have remarks by the President. And then
    I want to make a statement about the airlines issue, after which we will
    both answer questions.
        First, let me say it's a great pleasure for me to welcome President
    Fidel Ramos of the Philippines to Washington. We had a very good
    discussion at the historic APEC leaders' meeting in Seattle, and I'm
    delighted that he accepted my invitation to come to the White House for
    further talks.
        Our two nations have enjoyed warm relations for almost a century
    now. Our soldiers have fought side by side. President Ramos knows the
    value of our cooperation first hand, having himself served in combat in
    Korea. I'd also like to congratulate him as a graduate of West Point for
    the award he recently received from the United States Military Academy
    as one of their outstanding graduates.
        Throughout the cold war, the Philippines hosted two of our key
    military bases in the Pacific. And now with the cold war over, the
    Philippines remains one of our Nation's most vital friends and allies in
    the Asian-Pacific region.
        The Philippines also helped lead the march toward democracy over the
    past decade. We all recall the impressive courage of the Philippine
    people in 1986 as their prodemocratic struggle inspired freedom-loving
    people everywhere in the world. President Ramos played an important role
    in that drama. And it is fitting, as I said, that he has been honored by
    West Point and recognized by people all across America for his devotion
    not only to democracy but to the cause of human rights.
        In our discussions today, President Ramos and I covered a range of
    bilateral, regional, and global issues. We reviewed the results of last
    week's APEC meetings and agreed to work jointly to advance the spirit of
    community in our region. We share the goal of achieving open trade and
    investment, prosperity, and increasing regional economic integration. We
    agreed that Congress' approval of NAFTA this past week will bolster our
    regional efforts to reduce trade barriers and may improve our chances of
    securing an acceptable new GATT agreement.
        I told the President that I very much admire his own efforts toward
    economic liberalization. I'm impressed by his steps to free foreign
    exchange and liberalize trade and investment and by his ongoing efforts
    to achieve reform in banking, taxation, and customs.
        Our bilateral relations with the Philippines have witnessed a
    transformation in recent years. The end of the cold war and the closure
    of our bases there, however, have not changed the basis for continuing
    cooperation between our two nations. We've now begun a renewed
    partnership, based on our long historical association, our shared
    values, our expanding trade and investment links, our bilateral security
    cooperation, and our common dedication to democracy and human rights.
        We took several steps today to enhance our partnership, agreeing
    among other things to negotiate a bilateral extradition treaty which
    will help us to combat global crime, terrorism, and narcotics trade. We
    agreed to pursue a mutual legal assistance treaty to facilitate evidence
    exchanges in criminal matters and again to strengthen our cooperation in
    narcotics control. I want to thank President Ramos for his action to
    ensure the renewal of our close security cooperation. Those efforts have
    enabled a successful visit of the U.S.S. O'Brien to Manila in a joint
    military exercise on Philippine territory.
        We look forward to continuing cooperation with the Philippines, in
    APEC, the ASEAN regional forum, the United Nations, and on global issues
    ranging from nonproliferation to environmental protection, something
    that President Ramos referred to over and over again at the APEC meeting
    just a few days ago.
        President Ramos has been a strong friend of the American people, and
    I look forward to working closely with him and the Philippine people in
    the days ahead.
        Let me say in introducing him, also, that there's been a great deal
    of discussion over the last couple of years, and certainly in recent
    days, about whether the basic cause of human rights

    [[Page 2048]]

    is somehow a product of the Western cultural tradition. If you look at
    the Philippines, the Philippine version of human rights shows that human
    rights can take root anywhere and be appreciated, revered, and respected
    anywhere, thanks in no small measure to President Ramos.
        The floor is yours, sir.
        President Ramos. Thank you, Bill.
        Ladies and gentlemen, today President Clinton and I set a new
    orientation for Philippine-American relations. These relations have a
    long history behind them. But the fundamentally altered political and
    economic environment in the world and in our region and the changed
    requirements of both our peoples have made it necessary and desirable
    for both of us to embark on a new partnership.
        This new partnership we affirm shall be based on the values that
    both Americans and Filipinos cherish deeply: the sanctity of human
    rights, the value of democracy, and the efficacy of the free market.
    President Clinton strongly supports our commitment to these values,
    something which we find encouraging and for which we are grateful.
        Our partnership, we agreed, shall also be anchored more firmly than
    ever before on the benefits that both our countries derive from our
    economic relationship. I deeply appreciate the support which President
    Clinton expressed for our program of economic reform and economic
    development, and I value the confidence that he manifested in the
    program's success.
        I also thank President Clinton for the steps that this
    administration intends to take to encourage more American investments in
    the Philippines. At the same time, I raised with him the question of
    improved access for Philippine exports to the American market. And in
    the context of our economic partnership, President Clinton and I
    resolved to work even more closely together for the punctual and
    successful conclusion of the Uruguay round and in general the further
    liberalization of the world economy, even as we recognize the special
    requirements of the developing countries.
        Security cooperation, particularly within the framework of the
    Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951 remains a vital element in
    Philippine-American relations. President Clinton and I agreed that our
    cooperation in security matters must be strengthened despite the changes
    in the global and regional security situation which no longer requires
    the permanent stationing of American forces in the Philippines.
        The mutual defense treaty continues to be valuable to the security
    of East Asia. We welcome and appreciate, as do others in the region, the
    continuing American commitment to regional security which President
    Clinton reaffirmed today, including America's determination to oppose
    any resort to the use of force in the Kalayaan or Spratly area.
        A human link in our relation with the United States is the community
    of over 2 million Filipinos in this country. I appreciate President
    Clinton's recognition of their contribution to American society. And in
    order to be able to assist each other better in the enforcement of the
    law, President Clinton and I agreed that our officials should begin work
    on an extradition treaty between our two countries.
        I also raised to President Clinton two matters that are close to my
    heart. The first is the old issue of the rights of the Filipino veterans
    of World War II. The other is the so-called Amerasian children issue.
        Finally, my delegation and I thank President Clinton and his
    delegation for the warmth and cordiality with which we conducted our
    discussions. Those discussions, I am sure, will lead to a new and a
    strong partnership for the benefit of both Americans and Filipinos.
        Thank you, Mr. President.

    American Airlines Strike

        President Clinton. Thank you, Mr. President.
        I would like now to read a statement on the airline strike, and then
    we'll take some questions from both the American and the Filipino press
    here.
        I am pleased to announce that I have spoken with both parties
    involved in the American Airlines strike and that both have agreed in
    principle to end the strike and to return to the bargaining table
    immediately. They've also agreed to resolve all matters under dispute
    through binding arbitration. All American Airlines flight attendants
    will be reinstated.
        I believe this agreement represents an important step forward for
    all Americans, including families that will be able to reunite over the
    holidays, the flight attendants themselves, all of whom will now be able
    to return to their jobs, and American Airlines which can now return to
    serving the traveling public. I hope this is the beginning of a happy
    holiday season for all of us.

    [[Page 2049]]

        I want to encourage all the people involved in the American Airlines
    family to now return to work together without any bitterness and with a
    spirit of mutual respect as they attempt to work through these issues
    through binding arbitration. This company and its employees are a very
    important part of the American economy, a very important part of the
    airline sector that has been troubled for the last couple of years and
    that is a very important part of our high-tech future.
        I am very pleased by the agreement which has been reached. And I now
    ask all parties involved to approach it in good faith and with good
    spirits. I also want to say that I have spoken with the Secretary of
    Transportation and the Secretary of Labor, along with members of the
    National Mediation Board, and I want to thank them for the work that all
    of them did to help to bring matters to this point today. I am very
    pleased by this development, and again I want to thank the
    representatives of both sides, the attendants and the company, for
    making this important statement. And I look forward to the ultimate
    resolution of the issues.
        Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International].

    North Korea and Japan

        Q. Mr. President, is it true that the United States is prepared to
    sweeten the pot, give aid, recognition, call off Team Spirit, if North
    Korea agrees to nuclear inspection? And with the Japanese access to
    plutonium, don't you worry about Japan building the bomb?
        President Clinton. Well, how many questions was that?
        Q. Three. [Laughter]
        President Clinton. Good for you.
        Q. [Inaudible]
        President Clinton. I'm glad to know you were keeping score.
    [Laughter]
        As you know, President Kim of South Korea will be here tomorrow. And
    our administration has been working on a new approach to deal with this
    issue. I want to discuss it with him tomorrow, and then I expect to have
    an announcement on it.
        I think it's fair to say that Japan does not wish to become a
    nuclear power and that in my talks with Prime Minister Hosokawa and with
    President Jiang of China, it was obvious to me that no one in the region
    wants North Korea to become a nuclear power. So we're going to do
    everything we can in close consultation with the countries most affected
    in the region to try to find a resolution to this. I also discussed this
    with President Ramos today because the Philippines has important
    membership on the IAEA, and he gave me his thoughts on it. We are
    working on it. I want to consult with President Kim tomorrow, and then I
    expect to have another announcement.

    American Airlines Strike

        Q. Mr. President, can you tell us, how did this American Airlines
    settlement come about? What role did you play in it? You said that you
    talked to both sides today. Did you put pressure on either side to
    accept this?
        President Clinton. No, I don't think that would be a fair
    characterization of it. We were contacted--and our staff can give you
    some more background later after the press conference--and the White
    House has been actively involved all morning trying to bring the parties
    to this point. But to be fair, they were willing to be brought to this
    point. They were interested in trying to figure out what procedures we
    might follow so that we could get the strike over with, bring the flight
    attendants back, start the planes flying again. So I have to give them a
    large share of the credit. But they were willing to have us try to work
    out this arrangement, and I am grateful for that.
        Bruce Lindsey had a lot to do with it this morning, talking to
    representatives of the two sides on the phone and talking to the Labor
    Department, the Transportation Department about what had been done to
    date and kind of getting a sense of where we were. And it all fell into
    place about an hour ago. And then I had to call them both, and we had to
    go over it all one more time to make sure that we were all singing out
    of the same hymnal about how the process would work and what rules would
    apply and things of that kind. And I feel quite good about it.
        Is there anyone from the Korean press who has a--I mean, Filipino
    press?
        Q. Philippine press, Mr. President.
        President Clinton. Go ahead.

    The Philippines

        Q. Both you and President Ramos, have you discussed any details
    concerning the United States commitment to the multilateral aid
    initiative to the Philippines? And will you please ex-

    [[Page 2050]]

    pand on your talks concerning the vets, the veterans issue, as well as
    the Amerasians?
        President Ramos. To the first of the three questions, let me say
    that we hardly discussed aid at all, but the main focus of our
    discussion was economic cooperation, which would result in more
    investment and trade in the Philippines and within Asia and the Pacific.
    In regard to the veterans problem, President Clinton and I agreed that
    we will continue looking at ways and means to make it right for the
    Filipino veterans of World War II. Of course, we both realize that there
    is legislative action involved, and the solution of the problem is not
    entirely within the hands of the Executive. Regarding the problem of the
    so-called Amerasian children, we agreed to work on this matter as well
    as to encourage the nongovernment organizations to do their part. I
    informed President Clinton that there is an NGO that is very active in
    the Philippines representing the concerned people of the United States,
    called the Pearl Buck Foundation, that has been in this kind of work for
    a long, long time now and with which we intend to establish close
    linkages on the part of the Philippine Government and also our
    Philippine NGO's.

    Presidential Security

        Q. Mr. President, on this 30th anniversary of President Kennedy's
    assassination, do you personally feel that the case is closed, that Lee
    Harvey Oswald did act alone without any assistance? And secondly, as you
    travel around, are you concerned about your own personal security as you
    wade into crowds and go around and talk to people?
        President Clinton. I am satisfied with the finding that Lee Harvey
    Oswald acted alone. I'm also very satisfied with the work done by the
    Secret Service in my behalf. Most of the crowds that I see now have been
    through some sort of screening process, particularly if there's been a
    lot of advance notice of my coming. But it's impossible for a democratic
    leader in a free world, I think, to live in a shell. One of the greatest
    things a President has to guard against all the time is just becoming
    isolated from the feelings, the concerns, the conditions of daily life
    that all other Americans have to confront. And so there's always going
    to be a tension, if you lead a free country and you're accountable to
    all the citizens of that country, between the legitimate desire of the
    security forces to protect you and the desire that I have not to lose
    touch and get totally out of sync with the lives of all the people whom
    I must represent.
        Anyone else from the Filipino press? Yes.

    Extradition Treaty

        Q. Yes, President Clinton, an extradition treaty has been tried
    before between the Philippines and the United States. What issues remain
    from the point of view of the United States before such a treaty can be
    concluded?
        President Clinton. Well, let me say we did not even discuss the
    outstanding issues today. We want to leave that to our negotiators. I
    think what President Ramos wanted to know was whether I was willing to
    do it. And the answer is I am very much willing to do it, and I believe
    that we will succeed.

    Handgun Control Legislation

        Q. Mr. President, the Brady bill has come so close before and failed
    with the end of a congressional session. Is there anything that you can
    do or that Democratic leaders can do to try to save it from an obstacle
    in the conference committee and to try to get the Senate to agree to the
    conference before Congress goes home?
        President Clinton. Well, we might have just a shred of a chance of
    that. You know, the Senate was anxious to leave, and they've worked hard
    this year. The Congress has worked very hard. The House just passed
    overwhelmingly a comprehensive campaign finance reform, so that's
    another issue that the House and the Senate have acted on they'll have
    to conference. There may be some small chance it can be done now. But I
    don't want to hold out false hope. I would like it if it can be done. I
    would love it if the Congress could give the Brady bill to the American
    people for Thanksgiving. But I do believe that the size of the vote in
    the Senate and the marked shift almost overnight in the position of
    those who were promoting the filibuster shows an awareness that we have
    to lead on this crime and personal security issue and an understanding
    that the American people want something done at the national level and
    they want something done at the local level. And they want people to
    roll up their sleeves and go to work, not get in the way. So I believe
    that even if we fail to secure it at this 11th hour, that it'll pass
    when the Congress comes back and fairly quickly. I wish that it could be
    done now. I don't know if it can

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    be done now.
        Q. So why should people wait another few months?
        President Clinton. I don't think they----
        Q. They won't be back until----
        President Clinton. I don't think they should. I think it should pass
    now. But I don't know if I can get it done. If it were up to me, it
    would be done right this minute; it would have been done months ago. But
    I can just tell you, we are working on it. We are exploring all possible
    options. I don't know if it can be done.

    Extradition Treaty

        Q. As a loyal member of the Philippine press, I'm quite disturbed
    about the extradition treaty. Are you planning to make provisions to
    protect the interests of political asylum, from the Philippines and vice
    versa, Mr. President?
        President Ramos. The details are being worked out by our respective
    legal staffs. But I think you will appreciate the fact that the two
    governments have finally undertaken this effort on a joint basis.
        During the Marcos period when the regime was very repressive and a
    lot of Filipinos came over to the United States to seek asylum,
    naturally there was no agreement on extradition because the United
    States wanted to protect those that had sought political asylum in this
    country. But we shall be concerned here with really extradition in the
    strictly criminal sense, as applying to violators of the revised Penal
    Code of the Philippines.

    Environmental Issues

        Q. Can I just follow up, sir, very important, on the environmental
    issue. I know you have talks on extradition and Amerasian and veterans.
    I think environment is a very important issue and is a concern not only
    of Asian countries but all countries in this world. Have you discussed
    anything on how to protect the environment for the Philippine side?
        President Ramos. I brought it up at the APEC meeting itself as a
    concern of developing countries as well as of countries in the Asia-
    Pacific region. I discussed this extensively with Vice President Gore
    during our meeting, and I repeated it in our meeting with President
    Clinton.
        The Philippines must be recognized as one of the first, if not the
    first, Asian countries that created the mechanism to implement the
    guidelines agreed to by most countries in the Earth summit in Rio in
    June 1992. And we're proud that we have this kind of a record in the
    international community. And we are very thankful to the United States
    Government for supporting many efforts on our part to improve our own
    Philippine environmental situation.
        President Clinton. Let me just give you one specific example that
    President Ramos suggested, not now but in Seattle, that we look at
    establishing within the APEC region a technology transfer center that
    would accelerate the movement of technology for environmental protection
    and cleanup from the countries that have it to those that need to
    acquire it. So I think you can look forward to a time when we will
    really press this forward. It's very much in the interest of the United
    States, both environmentally and economically to do. And I really
    appreciate the fact that of all the APEC leaders, President Ramos was
    the one most insistent that we make progress on this.

    Crime and the Community

        Q. Mr. President, you've been talking a lot lately about children
    killing children. And a number of sociologists are now suggesting that
    not enough focus has been put on the parents who fail to supervise these
    children. Do you agree with that? And what can be done about it?
        President Clinton. Absolutely, I agree with that. I think that the
    conditions you see today in a lot of the most desperate areas of our
    country are the result of a confluence of forces, one of which is
    plainly the breakdown of order within the family and the kind of
    direction and support that traditionally has been the province of
    parenthood. That's one reason, one thing.
        Secondly, there has been a simultaneous breakdown of a lot of the
    community supports and alternatives to parental guidance that used to
    exist in a lot of communities. After all, there have always been
    children in trouble. There have always been children who had parents who
    were neglectful of them, even abusive of them. But in times past, there
    have been more alternative community supports than there are now. And
    one of the reasons that my speech to the Church of God in Christ got
    such a warm reception from the folks there is that many of them feel
    that they're holding back an even worse deluge, that the churches are
    almost the only community supports left in a lot of these neighborhoods.

    [[Page 2052]]

        The third thing, obviously, is the decline of available employment
    in a lot of these neighborhoods, so that a lot of the role models who
    would have been there, people who would have been there either in the
    home or in the neighborhood, are not there.
        And then the fourth thing are the rise of drugs, not only as an
    instrument of personal abuse but also as an alternative economic system.
        And then, finally, the ready availability of weapons, especially
    handguns and assault weapons, to reinforce an alternative economic and
    social order; all these things are working together. But clearly, we're
    going to have to have more efforts by people at the grassroots level,
    the churches, the community organizations, the local folks, to reinforce
    a sense of parental responsibility and accountability in whatever way we
    can.
        Thank you. We have to go.

    Note: The President's 34th news conference began at 2:30 p.m. in the
    East Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Bruce
    Lindsey, Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser.