US ambassador explains intel report to Palace

The United States Embassy in Manila on Friday disclosed that Ambassador Sung Kim has met with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to discuss and explain the recently released Worldwide Threat Assessment Report published by the Director of National Intelligence. (Photo By United States Department of State, Public Domain)

MANILA — The United States Embassy in Manila on Friday disclosed that Ambassador Sung Kim has met with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to discuss and explain the recently released Worldwide Threat Assessment Report published by the Director of National Intelligence.

The said document drew attention after President Rodrigo R. Duterte was tagged in the report as among the “regional threats” to democracy and human rights in Southeast Asia.

The embassy said Kim on Thursday (Feb. 22) explained the nature of the report as an annual assessment on conditions in each of the world’s various regions based on widely available information.

“Their discussion focused on the references to the Philippines in the report, including clarifying that the information about the Philippines had been previously reported by media sources,” the embassy said in a statement.

According to Molly Koscina, press attache of the embassy, the meeting was requested by Medialdea.

For its part, the embassy underscored the US government’s commitment to continue cooperation with the government of the Philippines. Additionally, it bared “shared interests and possibilities for expanding” partnership was even discussed.

“The meeting ended with both Executive Secretary Medialdea and Ambassador Kim reaffirming the strength of the broad and deep bilateral relationship,” it ended.