US VP Kamala Harris to meet with Marcos, Sara Duterte in Manila before Palawan visit

US Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the Philippines next week to hold separate talks with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte before traveling to Palawan in a historic visit to highlight America’s commitment to the rule of law in the disputed South China Sea.

Harris, the first woman and first woman of color to become US Vice President, will arrive in Manila Sunday night, Nov. 20 after attending the APEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, a senior US administration official said in a background briefing on Wednesday.

The 58-year-old Harris will meet Marcos and Duterte on Nov. 21, Monday to enhance security and economic ties, the official said.

The official added that Harris will have an opportunity to meet with civil society activities to demonstrate US “commitment and continued support for human rights and democratic resilience.”

She will also participate in a townhall meeting with young Filipino women on empowerment of women and girls.

“The Vice President prioritizes lifting up the voices of women and advocating for their economic empowerment civic participation,” the official said.

Harris will fly to Palawan’s capital city of Puerto Princesa on Nov. 22, Tuesday, becoming the highest US leader to set foot on the island province, which faces the South China Sea, where China has been accused by other claimant states of aggressive actions.

US officials have called her visit to Palawan a “historic visit that would involve meetings with local fishermen, community leaders and Philippine Coast Guard."

“This is another historic visit, as the Vice President is the highest ranking US official ever to visit Palawan. This demonstrates the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to stand by its Philippine ally in upholding the rules-based international maritime order in the South China Sea,” the US official told reporters in a background briefing.

The Philippines is America's longest defense treaty ally in the region, and Washington has vowed to defend it against aggression, including in the South China Sea.

The official did not mention China by name in the briefing, but such a high-profile visit and messaging are a veiled message to Beijing, which has been strongly criticized by Washington for its assertive behavior in the disputed waters, including the construction of islands with military-grade facilities. 

In Palawan, Harris will deliver remarks underscoring the importance of international law, unimpeded commerce and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

She will also discuss how to strengthen US partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard, including new funding initiatives.

During her engagement with the local community, the Vice President will tackle impacts on coastal economies of illegal and unregulated fishing, the US official said.

A vital trading and shipping lane, the South China Sea, dotted with rocks, shoals and reefs where rich oil and mineral deposits were found, are claimed in part or in whole by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Parts of the waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone have been renamed West Philippine Sea.

China’s vast territorial claims in the waters have sparked tensions and violent confrontations with smaller claimants, like the Philippines and Vietnam.

Manila won a landmark case against China’s massive claim in the South China Sea before a tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, but Beijing refused to acknowledge it. —KG, GMA Integrated News