U.S. House subcommittee chair on terrorism calls on PGMA
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed today United States
Congressman Adam Smith who is on an official tour of the Philippines to
learn more about RP-US relations. He arrived in the country two days
ago.
“Thank you for visiting us,” the President told Cong. Smith during his
courtesy call this afternoon at the Music Room of Malacanang.
Among those present were Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo,
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, and US Ambassador to the Philippines
Kristie Kenney.
Smith, a Democrat representing the 9th District of Washington, is a
member of the US House Committee on Armed Services where he chairs the
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities.
Smith’s visit is part of his familiarization tour of Southeast Asia also
as a member of the US House Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the
Global Environment.
Before Smith called on the President, he was accompanied by Ambassador
Kenney this morning in Tuburan, Basilan where they inaugurated a road
project which is a portion of the circumferential road network of the
province.
Smith has many Asian-American constituents in Washington, many of them
Filipinos.