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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 9) – A United States government led by the Democratic president-elect bet Joe Biden would likely emphasize the human rights situation around the world, including in the Philippines, a former official said Monday.
Speaking to CNN Philippines, former presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda noted that in general, American Democrats tend to focus on global human rights issues.
“I think one of the most fundamental differences (from the previous administration) would be that Democrats tend to put more emphasis on human rights. I think that’s a part that the Trump administration tends to ignore, with the exception of some specific interests, ”Lacierda, who served as spokesman for former President Noynoy Aquino, said in an interview with The fountain.
“Hopefully this new presidency, by the Biden administration, will put more emphasis on that … It would see more consistent directions toward an emphasis on human rights,” he added.
Lacierda, however, clarified that the Trump administration has also done its part in the fight for the protection of human rights. He cited the passage of the Global Magnitsky Act, a US law that allows Washington to punish foreign officials implicated in acts of corruption and human rights violations anywhere in the world.
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Lacierda also thinks that a Biden-led America can restore confidence in the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
“Under the Trump administration, the US military has not neglected its role, but there will be a greater emphasis in the South China Sea towards freedom of navigation,” the former official said.
Biden, 77, won the 270 electoral votes needed on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), CNN projected, to claim the coveted White House seat and oust current Republican leader Donald Trump. Biden, in his victory speech, promised to establish unity in the United States regardless of the political ties or beliefs of its citizens.
Meanwhile, Lacierda echoed sentiments from political analysts that Biden will likely focus on politics and domestic issues first, given the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But in terms of foreign policy, Lacierda argued that the Biden administration would have to reestablish America’s identity as a global leader, noting that the Trump administration previously adopted an “isolationist” policy.
The former Palace spokesman, for his part, praised the Philippine government for reaffirming bilateral relations – political, cultural and economic – with the United States, including with the latter electing a new leader.
Biden will open in January 2021 and will lead the US for four years. An official declaration of his victory has not yet been made.
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