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| VP Kamala Harris Facebook Page Photo |
ON MY WATCH
By MANUEL L. CABALLERO
US VP KAMALA HARRIS IN MANILA, WHILE PH EX-VP LENI ROBREDO IN NEW YORK; CURRENT US EVENTS TESTING AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM AND CONSTITUTION
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| VP Kamala Harris Facebook Page Photo |
US Vice President Kamala Harris visits Manila and Palawan on Nov. 20-22 to reinforce the long-time alliance between the Philippines and the United States. Meetings are to take place with Pres. Marcos, Jr. and VP Sara Duterte.
VP Harris will proceed to Palawan from Manila in order to demonstrate America's resolve in countering China's aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea. The Spratlys, one of the territories claimed by China to be their own which is also claimed by the PH and four other SEA countries is close to Palawan.
The Veep will also hold dialogues with local residents, particularly fishermen negatively affected by Chinese behavior in the maritime area. She will also meet with women's groups to discuss women empowerment. The lady Vice President is also scheduled to meet with members of the Coast Guard guarding the interest of the Filipinos in the Spratlys.
The VP's PH visit is another proof that the US is ready and willing to abide by its treaty commitments to the Philippines.
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| Leni Robredo Facebook Page Photo |
While VP Harris is in the PH, former VP Leni Gerona Robredo is in New York for speaking engagements at New York University and Columbia University, both Ivy League schools like Harvard where Atty. Robredo is currently a Hauser leader at the Kennedy School of Public Leadership.
She just returned from Zurich where she delivered two speeches as resource person in an international conference.
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After discussing about those two outstanding women, let's talk about men.
Immediately after former US Pres. Donald Trump announced that he was running again for president in 2024, the US Department of Justice announced the appointment of a special counsel to oversee the investigation whether Mr. Trump committed illegal act with his obvious involvement in the Jan. 6 attack in the US Congress which resulted in deaths and destruction of properties in an attempt to subvert the will of the American voters in the 2020 elections.
The Justice Department also wanted the former chief executive investigated on the handling of confidential government documents that Mr. Trump brought and kept at his Florida mansion.
In his comments about this topic, Mr. Trump said the Justice Department move was another unfair witch-hunt and that it was an abuse of presidential power on the part of Pres. Biden and that it was politically motivated. Such reaction can be expected.
We will know what will happen in the months or even years ahead.
The outcome of the decision of the Justice Department to pursue those two cases with a special counsel against a former president will have a lasting impact on the Office of President and the US Constitution. While no one could unilaterally amend the provision of a Constitution, it could be interpreted according to public interest. No Constitutional provision is absolute. Nobody, not even a president, is above the law.
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Happy Birthday, BERT PELAYO in Heaven. He is the late Founder, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of the then Filipino Reporter in New York where this column started.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!
contributedmlc
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