President Clinton hails U.S.-RP ties, sacrifices

President Clinton hails U.S.-RP ties, sacrifices

MANILA (Agencies): President Bill Clinton hailed yesterday the
vitality of U.S.-Philippine ties and paid tribute to troops from
both countries who fought Japan in World War II, saying the
"spirit of Bataan and Corregidor" had helped freedom to flourish.

But his day-long goodwill visit to this former American colony
was dogged by continued questions about the credibility of his
leadership after last week's election defeat.

Clinton insisted at a joint news conference with President
Fidel Ramos that the U.S. political upheaval following the defeat
of his Democratic Party in mid-term elections would have no
effect on American foreign policy.

"I believe that the position of the United States is certainly
just as strong as it ever has been," he told reporters.

Stressing that he is still fully in charge of the country's
global affairs, Clinton said the power "vested in the president
by the constitution...is quite clear."

He also took a conciliatory stance toward Republicans who will
run Congress from January.

Refusing to be drawn into a debate with conservative
Congressman Newt Gingrich, who has declared the opposition will
cooperate but not compromise, Clinton said: "insofar as I can
work with them, I will do my best to do it."

In an address at the American military cemetery here earlier,
the U.S. president praised the Philippines as "our oldest friend
in Asia". He said the bloodless popular uprising that drove
Ferdinand Marcos from power in 1986 had helped spark the end of
the Cold War.

Meanwhile, the Philippine and U.S. foreign secretaries
yesterday signed extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties
in an effort to boost the fight against global drug rings and
international fraud.

Extradition

U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Philippine
Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo signed the Extradition Treaty
and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty at the presidential palace
in Manila.

The signing ceremonies were witnessed by President Fidel Ramos
and Clinton, who left yesterday for the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) summit in Indonesia after a 22-hour stopover
in Manila.

Both treaties were negotiated this year following a visit by
Ramos to Washington in late 1993.

Christopher said in a speech that the signing showed the two
nations' "solidarity in the fight against international drug
trafficking and organized crime."

He warned: "Let our action here today serve notice to
criminals in both our countries that the United States and the
Philippines will stand united to defeat them. We are determined
that they will not succeed."

The extradition treaty would allow both nations to repatriate
fugitives in each other's territories, while the mutual legal
assistance pact enables Manila and Washington to exchange
information needed for the prosecution of suspects.

The agreements need the approval of both the U.S. and
Philippine senates before they can be implemented. Both foreign
secretaries said they would seek their legislatures' early
approval of the treaties.

Several fugitives from the Philippines have sought refuge in
the United States, where many Filipinos have relatives.

Philippine and U.S. officials have said that Manila was being
used as a transshipment point of drugs to the United States and
Europe. Many of these drug gangs engage the services of the
world-class Filipino forgers or bribe corrupt law enforcers here.