Visas, polls among questions for Hillary
MANILA - Questions about her prom date and how to get a US visa are just some of the queries being asked of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton ahead of her visit to the Philippines this week.
Send in your questions to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham ClintonVia abs-cbnNEWS.com's ANC Live Events live chat page Via Facebook abs-cbnNEWS | US Embassy in Manila Via Twitter.com: use the hast tag #ANCCLINTON |
The ABS-CBN News Channel and the US Embassy in Manila are inviting Filipinos to post questions on the live chat page of abs-cbnNEWS.com and the US Embassy's Facebook page before Clinton's arrival in the Philippines on Thursday. Some of the questions could also be posted by using the hash tag "#ANCCLINTON" on Twitter.
Some of the questions initially posted asked Clinton about her failed bid for the 2009 Democratic Party nomination and how the Visiting Forces Agreement could aid the Philippine government's campaign against terrorists.
User Nyermnyerm posted the following question on the ABS-CBN chatbox: "During the primaries for last year's US elections, what more could you have done to become the Democratic party's presidential candidate? Do you think that your campaign strategy should have been better? What did you do right/wrong during the campaign?"
Another person asked Clinton what she would do different from US President Barack Obama if she had been elected president last year. "So far, what has Obama done that you would like to undo?" asked Ymman.
Several questions asked the US State Secretary about a possible softening of US immigration laws.
One person, Mohammadnur A. Ajihil, asked when the US Immigration Service would start working on visa backlogs of Filipino nursing applicants affected by the nation's retrogession policy.
Another person, Arnold Engstrand, simply asked: "When is the Philippines going to be on the visa waiver list? It does not make sense [that] a one-time USA territory [is] not on the visa waiver list but South Korea is."
Still another question from Robert Malo, who introduced himself as a disabled veteran, asked Clinton if it was possible to prioritize his Filipino wife's visa application.
VFA, 2010 elections
Several of the questions touched on the VFA as well as the coming national elections in 2010.
Users Olintaha and Fidel gave nearly similar questions: "What kind of Philippine president would the US support? Who among the Presidentiables is closest to American heart?"
User Alejandro Colcol asked Clinton if the US government is willing to thresh out a new defense treaty "since the VFA is a one-sided deal..."
User Kenji asked the US State Secretary what the US government plans to do to curb terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also asked how the Philippines would fit in the US policy on the War on Terror.
Still, some of the questions asked of Clinton were more personal.
User Neil Alcantara posted the following question on abs-cbnNEWS.com: "Aside from her husband Bill Clinton, who is her biggest crush?"
On the other hand, Gigi Estrella wanted to know who Clinton's date was on prom night.
User Matty also had a personal question for the US Secretary of State: "My question for the US Secretary of state is -- how high was her LSAT score to get into Yale law? Did she get scholarship?"
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Reply to uslpr
I think that issue of having wanted to have a better life is because our political leaders here FAILED to provide one for us citizens of the Phils. You're are right at that point.
Second, the independence granted to Phils was not at all the sentiment of all Filipinos IF you ask our present generation now. I think, each individual have their own view of the Fil-Am relations, like those people rallying in front of the US Embassy. They do not ALSO represent the whole vies and ideas of Filipinos.
The fact is, most of us living in the middle class would wish to being still under the US Commonwealth only IF history could be restored back.
Reply to nastmac
nastmac, I think it is because the Philippine people have a reputation for not returning back to their country once they've gained entry into US, UK, Australia and the like.
There's no double standard!
nastmac - are you seriously that ignorant? what country in the G9 you can go to their countries without applying visa from your country of origin? don't single out the US. you cannot go to UK, australia, canada, germany all these big economies in the world without applying visa from your home country and wait if they approve it or not. and if you were given one, does not guarrantee entry to their territory. are you well aware of immigration issues or you simply are one sided? the US is the most powerful country in the world, the largest economy in the world and the richest in the world. if our immigration laws are not as as tight as it is, people from all over the world specially the third world country will come here at any given time you people want. are you aware that we pay so much taxes and part of that goes to illegal immigrants in this country who are liability to the society? give me a break!
for one, the Philippines at some point was a US territory but no - you people want your independence. and true enough you got it! but don't come expecting that it is a one way traffic.
how many people are rallying in front of US embassy every time about not liking the Americans but you people wants to come here anyway - i wonder why that is???? oh because you can have a better life here!!!
hipocrites!!!!
Why the double standard?
Why can Americans arrive in the Philippines THEN receive their visas at the aiport, whereas Filipinos have to apply in advance for visas and cough up $131 each time they apply without certainty that they will even be approved? If that's not unfair, I dont know what is.
2 HUGE QUESTIONS FOR HILLARY
WILL UNITED STATES HELP THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT TO STOP CORRUPTIONS AND MONEY LAUNDERING FROM THE POLITICIANS AND BUSINESSMAN TO AMERICA,AUSTRALIAN,ASIA,AND CHINA?
WILL UNITED STATES HELP THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT TO PROVE,IF ALL CANDIDATES OF PRESIDENT,VICE PRESIDENT,SENATORS,CONGRESSMAN AND MAYORS ARE AMERICAN CITIZEN?