Arroyo congratulates Obama for historic win

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday congratulated Senator Barack Obama on his election as the 44th President of the United States. With Obama’s victory, the President expressed hope that the outcome would further strengthen the Philippines' bilateral relations with the US. During President Arroyo's 10-day visit to the US in June, she failed to meet with Obama due to the latter's tight schedule at the time. "We welcome his triumph in the same vein that we place the integrity of the US electoral process and the choices made by the American people in high regard. We likewise note the making of history with the election of Sen. Obama as the first African-American President of the US," President Arroyo said. "We look forward to closely working with Sen. Obama in strengthening regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, as well as in addressing the concerns of our World War 2 veterans here and in the US. This much we can expect from a country-ally whose strong relations with our country we have mutually nurtured through decades past and which we both enjoy to this day," she added. Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, for his part, described the election outcome as a demonstration of the strength and spirit of American democracy. "We congratulate president-Elect Obama, his opponent Senator John McCain, the Democratic and Republican parties, and the American people for again demonstrating the strength, stability, and soaring spirit of American constitutional democracy even in the midst of national crisis," Dureza said. "Indeed, elections are the best way for citizens to debate and decide which contending governance personages and perspectives shall lead in addressing challenges facing our nations," he added. Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio, meanwhile, expressed optimism that the election outcome would shed light to "their most critical problems and anxieties. Those answers will probably benefit the rest of the world too." Claudio also expressed hope that the Filipinos would learn from the US presidential contest in terms of enriching our "own democracy and electoral process." Change "As the Philippines moves closer to 2010, our own democracy and electoral process can be enriched by the lessons, models and example that the last US presidential contest can offer, particularly in terms of the primacy of issues and blueprints of governance as well as the efficiency and integrity by which the electorate‘s will are safeguarded and upheld," he added. Earlier in the day, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said the change that Obama promised generates “hope and inspiration" not just in America but also across the world. "His call for change opened a new phase in American politics, sparking hope and inspiration not only for the American people but the citizens of the world," Fajardo said. "America has always been the bastion of democracy and the world has always looked to the USA for direction. Obama has promised change and American people and world await this change," she added. With Obama’s victory, Fajardo said the Arroyo administration "looks forward to greater cooperation between the USA and the Philippines" as the Philippine government and the Democrats, Obama’s party, "have always been good allies." Obama swept to victory as the US' first black president Tuesday night (Wednesday noon, Manila time) in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself, an Associated Press report said. The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states — Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa and more. Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009. - GMANews.TV