Members of the Philippine government are bristling over parts of the State of the Union speech which lumped them in with the list of countries harboring terrorists which were put on notice that America would act if they didn't.
"It's clear in my mind that one president of a friendly country does not threaten another friendly country," Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said. "We don't depend on what the Americans claims to be necessary. We do seek assistance from them in case of need, but that doesn't mean they will run the foreign policy of our country."
Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said Washington was free to freeze the
assets of groups linked with terrorism or pursue diplomatic
measures. "But some people would want to interpret it to mean that the
US will impose its will, but we're a self-respecting sovereign state,
and we will not allow any other country to impose its will on us if
it's against our national interest," he said.
[via Red Rock Eater]
