Imee Marcos warns of ‘rapid’ changes in US policies towards PH ahead of prexy polls

Senator Imee Marcos on Friday warned of "rapid and significant shifts" in the United States' policies towards the Philippines, particularly in immigration, investments, and defense ahead of America's presidential elections.

“The Philippines should prepare for the impact of the U.S. elections on the Philippines and the world,” Marcos, chairperson of the Senate foreign relations committee, said in a statement.

“The political and economic stability of the U.S. is integral to world economic stability,” she added.

The senator, sister of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., underscored the Philippine government's responsibility to protect its economy and its citizens as nearly 4.5 million Filipino-Americans are currently living in the US.

She noted that "any U.S. president will naturally prioritize American interests" and underscored the importance of vigilance in safeguarding the Philippines' own interests.

The lawmaker stressed that stricter U.S. immigration policies could lead to the deportation of thousands of undocumented Filipinos, while efforts to bring American companies back onshore may decrease direct investments and reduce BPO jobs in the country.

She likewise expressed concern on the economic effect of the US elections as she noted that even under the current U.S. “friend-shoring” policy, the Marcos administration has continued to miss out on major foreign investments as compared to neighboring Southeast Asian Countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand.

She cited the manufacturing sector in the Mactan Export Processing Zone and other economic zones which has been “languishing."

This, she said, raises concerns over the country's competitiveness in attracting multinational corporations.

“Aside from boosting domestic demand, we must also attract investments into the country and revive our manufacturing sector. To do that, we must make our country attractive to investors by bringing down the power cost and making it easier for them to avail the incentives that we are currently offering,” Marcos said.

In terms of national defense, the senator said that it is unclear whether the next U.S. president will continue the aggressive expansion of U.S. military presence in the Philippines and maintain the current level of defense funding assistance.

"Given this uncertainty, the government should fully implement the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act as soon as possible for the country to be capable of fending for itself," she stressed.

The US presidential elections is scheduled on November 5.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro earlier expressed confidence in the continuity of US policies in the Asia-Pacific region after the US presidential election.

He said the alliance between the two countries is anchored in shared security goals and a commitment to uphold international law, including in the contested waters of the South China Sea.

"Our support for initiatives, bilaterally and multilaterally...is bipartisan, aside from the fact that we are operating together on institutional grounds, on foundational grounds," Teodoro said in an interview.—AOL, GMA Integrated News