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.