Ranking US official to visit Manila Tuesday

A top US government official is set to arrive in Manila on Tuesday for a two-day visit. US Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns will be the highest-ranking US official to visit the three-week-old Aquino administration, being the State Department’s third-ranking official and senior career diplomat. The visit is part of Burns’ Southeast Asian tour that also brought him to Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. While in the country, Burns will pay a courtesy call to President Benigno Aquino III in Malacañang and then meet with other government officials including Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo. “On July 20 and 21, Undersecretary Burns will travel to the Philippines to consult with senior officials in the new Aquino Administration and discuss ways to advance cooperation with this important ally," the US State Department said in a statement. The US is the top defense, security and economic ally of the Philippines. The US State Department statement described Burns’ Southeast Asian tour as an “important element" of the Obama administration’s thrust toward “increased and deepened engagement with this dynamic region." Among the issues Burns is expected to discuss with Philippine government officials are security, human rights, and economic and political matters. Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), meanwhile, urged Aquino to disclose the real agenda for Burns’ visit. “We are concerned that it could be business as usual between Washington and Manila, despite the many outstanding issues left unresolved by the previous Arroyo government," said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes Jr. in a statement. Reyes said Aquino should discuss with Burns controversial issues such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the permanent and continuing presence of US troops in southern Philippines. - with Jerrie M. Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV