FOR more than a century, the Philippines and the United States have been strong allies – come hell or high water. However, US President Donald Trump’s recent pronouncement doesn’t seem reflective of how allies are supposed to treat each other.
Trump, who is in his second term as President of the United States, is known for his hard stance against Asians. In fact, his foreign policy speaks well on what looks more like hatred in the guise of “security concerns.”
On Trump’s list are nationals from 10 Asian countries – China, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Korea, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
While Trump may have been right on being cautious on countries like China, North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria which are deemed in many parts of the world as national security concerns, it is rather absurd for the US to forsake a long-time ally.
From how it looks, Trump doesn’t like countries that do not conform to his foreign policy, for which punitive measures like visa restriction, cancellation and deportation were put in place despite pleas from the international community and offers of asylum by Western countries.
No less than US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that visa restrictions would be imposed immediately. The US government likewise issued a security alert to its citizens, which to many, may trigger racist attacks on US-based Asians.
Sanctions, deportations and the sweeping travel restrictions for citizens from 10 Asian countries (including the Philippines), is part of what looks more like a New Order imposed by a not-so-new President.
Since Trump commenced the “purge,” 24 Filipinos have already been deported to the Philippines — and more are expected to be forcibly flown back soon.
As per estimate by the Philippine Embassy in the United States, some 350,000 Filipinos could be deported amid Trump’s harsh foreign policy, concealed as a “crackdown on illegal aliens.”
Most of them, according to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, have been there “for many, many years and already have families, jobs, and everything.”
