Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411140098
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MANILA, PHILIPPINES LENGTH: Medium
But the first visit of a U.S. president to the Philippines in two decades was marred by hundreds of protesters demonstrating against U.S. influence over their country, some shouting ``Clinton Out!'' and ``Yankees Go Home!''
Clinton and his wife, Hillary, arrived to a low-key ceremony at Ninoy Aquino Airport at near midnight local time Saturday.
This morning, they received an official welcoming at Malacanang Palace, the presidential residence - complete with a military band and an honor guard with plumes and swords. The Clintons were met by President Fidel Ramos, a West Point graduate, and his wife, Amelita.
Clinton shook hands with Philippine dignitaries, including a former classmate at Georgetown University - Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Philippine senator was involved in a crash of a government helicopter Saturday.
``I read about you in the newspaper,'' Clinton told her. ``I'm glad you're OK.''
``I'm well enough to meet my classmate,'' she responded.
The couple also met Ramos' sister, Philippine Sen. Leticia Shehani. The sister, like Hillary Rodham Clinton, is a graduate of Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
Later, the president laid a wreath at a monument to Dr. Jose Rizal, a Philippine national hero.
Clinton, the first president to visit the Philippines since Gerald Ford in 1975, began his day with a jog and a breakfast meeting with American business executives. He smiled and waved off reporters who asked about Rep. Newt Gingrich's vow not to compromise with the White House when, as expected, the Georgia Republican becomes House Speaker next year.
Clinton was still reeling from Tuesday's midterm elections which gave majorities in both houses of Congress and in governorships to Republicans.
He was visiting the Philippines for less than 24 hours, in advance of his participation at an economic summit of Asian and Pacific leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, that begins on Monday.
A highlight of Clinton's visit was to be a tour with Ramos of the island of Corregidor, site of fierce World War II fighting by U.S. and Philippine forces against Japanese invaders.
Corregidor is a rocky, four-mile-long island that guards the entrance to Manila Bay. It was the site of an all-out assault by Japanese troops in the early days of World War II. The island has a maze of tunnels and underground chambers which served as headquarters for Gen. Douglas MacArthur when he was military adviser to the Philippine government.
MacArthur was forced to flee in 1942. Corregidor was recaptured by the Allies in 1945, and a U.S. flag still flies on the highest point on the island.
Clinton was staying at the Manila Hotel in a suite once occupied by MacArthur.
Clinton was expected to talk about shared U.S.-Philippine sacrifice in remarks on Corregidor.
While in the Philippines, Clinton also was to attend a state luncheon and visit an American cemetery.
The American Cemetery and Memorial is the largest U.S. military graveyard outside Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. It contains the remains of 17,206 Allied military casualties.
Anti-American demonstrators who took to the streets of Manila on Saturday urged Ramos to deny U.S. forces permission to refuel their warships and store military supplies in the Philippines.
Even though the United States closed its Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay Naval Base in 1992 after the Philippines refused to ratify a new base agreement, the two governments still have a mutual defense treaty.
The United States is the Philippines' largest trading partner.
Clinton and Ramos were expected to discuss economic ties. They also were expected to discuss an agreement the two countries plan to sign next month that will allow U.S. warships to refuel and pick up food supplies in the Philippines.
The next stop on Clinton's Asian trip is Jakarta, for meetings with 14 other leaders whose nations belong to the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. Clinton hosted last year's meeting, in Seattle.
In his radio address Saturday, Clinton said countries have ``already forged a common vision of a more open community. When we meet in Jakarta, I hope we'll embrace a common direction, setting a goal for free and open trade among all our economics.''
More specifically, the United States is pressing for an agreement from the Asian leaders for ``open and free trade'' among Pacific and Asian economic powers by the year 2020.
by CNB