Before saying anything, our government must carefully take note that it is an embassy statement, not a statement of the US Department of State, which would make it an entirely different thing. So it is best at this point to treat the embassy statement as an expression of the concerns of the current embassy officials in the country, instead of one encompassing the whole of the Philippines’ highly important relationship with the US. Both the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President should study the statement carefully and then frame a sound response. The embassy statement is notable for being punctilious and bare of bombast. We think the response of our government, if it deigns to make a statement in reply, should be similarly concise, to the point and courteous.

Source: Manila Times August 16, 2016 15:56 UTC