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1 1 (August 5, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbarb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: ° ' Congressional Research Service Inforn he legislative debate s ice 1914 Updated August 5, 2019 The Philippines Overview The United States and the Republic of the Philippines maintain a deep relationship that includes a bilateral security alliance, extensive military cooperation, close people-to-people ties, and many shared strategic and economic interests. U.S. administration of the Philippines as a colonial territory (1898-1946), which followed 300 years of Spanish rule, also shaped the relationship. Bilateral relations have faced challenges under President Rodrigo Duterte, who has long held negative views of the United States. Elected in 2016, Duterte has pursued rapprochement with China and a violent extrajudicial antidrug campaign. Major areas of U.S.-Philippine cooperation, nonetheless, have continued. Among Filipinos, popular support for the U.S.-Philippines relationship is strong. According to a survey conducted by Philippines-based Social Weather Stations (SWS), 81% of respondents said they had much trust in the United States as an ally. A 2018 Pew poll found that Filipinos prefer U.S. global leadership (77%) over that of China (12%). President Duterte remains popular domestically, despite his antidrug campaign and generally non-confrontational stance toward China, both of which have raised controversy. A July 2019 SWS poll found that 80% of Filipinos were satisfied with his performance. May 2019 mid-term elections resulted in large pro-Duterte majorities in both houses of the legislature. Defense Relations In contrast to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who steered the Philippines strategically towards the United States, Duterte has sought to strengthen ties with China, the Philippines' biggest trading partner and a potentially large source of foreign investment. The Philippines also has expanded its sources of military assistance, including from U.S. allies and strategic partners Australia, Japan, South Korea, and India, as well as from China and Russia. U.S.-Philippine security ties, nonetheless, remain close. U.S. military personnel and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) collaborate on counterterrorism efforts, regular joint military exercises, and humanitarian activities. Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder), the premier annual bilateral exercise, took place in March 2019 with 7,500 U.S. and Philippine troops and a small military contingent from Australia. The U.S.-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2014, allows for the increased rotational presence of U.S. military forces, ships, and aircraft in the Philippines. Implementation of the agreement continues, although it has slowed under Duterte. The Philippines is to receive $60 million out of the $300 million in regional security assistance announced by the Department of State in August 2018, and is a principal recipient of military assistance under the Department of Defense (DOD) Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative. Philippines at a Glance Land Area: Slightly larger thain Arizonai Population: 105.9 miillion Ethnic Groups: Mostly Malay (95%o); Chinese, miixed raice (Filipino-Spanish, Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-Amiericain), and other (5%). Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic (81%); other Christian (9o); Muslim (5o); other (5%). Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $877 billion (purchising power parity). Global ranking: 29. Per Capita GDP: $8,400 (purcha sing power puarity). GDP Composition by Sector: Agriculture (9); Industry (3 'on); Services (60%). Life Expectancy: 69 yeazrs Literacy: 96% Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2019 The 9: 61VC& War o rugs'9 Extrajudicial killings long have been a major human rights problem in the Philippines. Duterte's War on Drugs, which began shortly after he took office, has resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings, triggering international condemnation. The number of drug war-related deaths ranges from government statistics of 5,500-6,600 to estimates by human rights groups of up to 27,000. According to human rights groups, virtually all of the killings have been carried out without due process, and the vast majority of victims have been unarmed, poor, low- level offenders. They allege that police have collaborated with vigilantes, planted evidence at the scenes of killings, fabricated reports, and held suspected drug offenders for ransom. Philippine government officials state that law enforcement personnel have killed drug offenders in self- defense during anti-drug operations. Few cases of police misconduct have been investigated. In March 2018, President Duterte announced that the Philippines would withdraw from the International Criminal Court after the tribunal launched a preliminary investigation into possible crimes against humanity related to the antidrug campaign. In July 2019, Iceland sponsored a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council, which was narrowly adopted, calling for a comprehensive international report on the human rights situation in the Philippines. In response to the extrajudicial killings related to the drug war, beginning in 2016, the U.S. government suspended assistance to Philippine National Police units for counternarcotics activities, although it increased assistance htps//rrport~org 9esg

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