Transcript of 'A Conversation in Manila with Hillary Clinton

One of the activities held during the two-day visit to Manila this month of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was a forum with student leaders, campus journalists, bloggers and selected media guests at the National Museum last Nov. 16, 2011.The forum was moderated by GMA News anchor Vicky Morales and GMA News Online editor-in-chief Howie Severino, with questions from the floor facilitated by GMA program host Ramon Bautista. It was aired live on GMA News TV and livestreamed on GMA News Online.The forum covered a wide range of topics that included the European debt crisis, the Spratlys, US immigration policy, human trafficking, Philippine economic growth, social media, Mrs. Clintons political future, and her views about work-life balance.VICKY: What are the upsides and downsides of being a woman in a male-dominated place like the State Department, having to deal with the problems of Libya, Afghanistan, and you know, really macho stuff?HILLARY CLINTON: First, I just want to officially say how pleased I am to be back here in Manila and have a chance to talk with all of you. I think your question is a challenging one to answer because there are so many different issues that you have to deal with when you are in the public eye, and I think women do bring certain attitudes towards them, but in general I think it's really the quality of your decision making, quality of your leadership. Yes, there are tough challenges that we are facing in the world today and people eventually judge you on whether what you do works or doesn't work and what the results are. I think that's the kind of world we want to be moving toward, where people are judged on their merits, where men and women are given an opportunity to live up to their own God-given potential and participate in society and make their own contribution.VICKY: Let me ask you about our former President Gloria Arroyo. I'm sure you're aware that she tried to leave the country last night but ! was not allowed. Have you had a chance to talk to her regarding maybe the possibility of seeking treatment in the US? And if ever, what kind of help are you willing to extend to her? After all she's an old friend, she went to school with your husband at Georgetown.HILLARY CLINTON: First of all I know of no request to the United States at all, but secondly, these kinds of issues which are internal issues, I'm very unwilling to venture into because there have to be decisions that are made by your government and all of its different branches, so I can't comment on something like that. Its not really within my authority but certainly if a request were made, we would look at that.VICKY: Would you be willing to extend her assistance?HILLARY CLINTON: It would depend on what the request was.HOWIE: I'd like to ask about something you would probably want to comment on. You have called this the Age of Participation, and you and the US government have championed the Internet and social media as tools for democratization, especially in oppressed nations. Yet your government, the US government, has not been very happy with an organization like WikiLeaks that has professed that it promotes transparency and accountability. Where would you suggest drawing the line in using the Internet in challenging governments, including your own?HILLARY CLINTON: Well, thats a great question. We've had 235 years of our democracy trying to struggle with the issues about free expression, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the Internet is a vehicle, and 200 years ago you would go to the town square or you would work in a newspaper and obviously communications became more sophisticated, so I think that the rules are not so different. It's just that the mechanism of communication and the Internet is so revolutionary because you could, in the past, say something to two people and then those two people might spread it around. But here you can press a button and billions of people can say something.I ! think yo u have to be both protective of the openness of the Internet but recognize that just as in free speech in any setting, there does have to be a certain set of expectations. So we do champion freedom of speech, we champion tools that can help people living in oppressive regimes continue to communicate and get around all of the obstacles that governments put up. But when an organization, and you mentioned WikiLeaks, when an organization steals information which is what happened, just because they put it on the Internet doesn't make it any more right than if they had passed it out on the street corners. There still has to be a fundamental respect for and a real benefit of the doubt given to freedom, but there also has to be certain standards, expectations, rules that have to continue to be recognized.VICKY: Now we have a question from Twitter. This is from Carlos Aquino Agatep. Do you feel the need to strengthen the US-Philippine Defense treaty in the middle of the Spratlys issues?HILLARY CLINTON: Today, we celebrated 60 years of the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Foreign Secretary and I signed what we're calling the Manila Declaration, which not only reaffirms our ties of the past but more importantly looks to what we're going to be doing in the future, how we are going to have a relationship that helps the Philippines with your security, as the challenges have changed. And you know, these disputes over territories you mentioned the Spratly islands, there are others being disputed with different claimants raised issues about how we tried to a create a peaceful resolution of these disputes.The United States doesn't take a position on who has the right or doesn't have the right, but we are very strongly against any nation using coercion or intimidation instead of using the law to try to resolve these issues. So the discussions we're having now between the United States and the Philippines is, what can we do to strengthen the Philippines external defense, to have a credible deterrent to be ab! le to pr otect what is yours and to be able to pursue lawful activities, whether it's fishing or exploration for gas and oil or whatever it might be.HOWIE: Would that include moving more US troops to this part of the world?HILLARY CLINTON: Probably not in any permanent way we are obviously very sensitive to the feelings of the Filipino people that were not in any way looking for bases, that's of the past, that's not of the future but joint operations, joint cooperation and not only on something like external defense but on disaster reaction. I learned today that the Philippines has, on average, 24 typhoons a year. That's a lot. Youve had some of the terrible ones the last few years. So what can we do to position assets to do training, to work together to try to protect against that for example. Were at the beginning of these discussions but I'm very hopeful that well reach some good understanding about how we take our relationship in the future.MAXENE MAGALONA: I'm 24 years old, and I would like to know what advice can you give people my age on how to achieve dreams and also make a difference in this day and age of high technology 'coz I'm very very active in social networking.HILLARY CLINTON: First, let me say I think that the Philippines has one of the highest Facebook usage rates in any country in the world and I think that is pretty exciting because it gives you access to the entire world right here, from wherever you live in the country. I think what were seeing in Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social networks is the power of an individual. There recently in our country was a situation where one of our big banks was going to start charging I think $5 for every time you use a debit card, and a young woman about your age got on Facebook and Twitter and created this movement against the bank and the bank decided they wouldn't do it. And it started from one young woman sitting in her apartment banging away on her computer and reaching millions of people.So certainly, a ! lot of t he traditional building blocks for being successful and active remain the same a good education, working as hard as you can, developing good habits like a work ethic and also good interpersonal, respectful, courteous relations with people. But now, because of social networking, you can take what youre interested in and really build your own outreach system. I've seen fabulous things around the world -- young people in a country like Colombia coming together to demonstrate against drug traffickers, young students in other countries who are demanding better education. This now gives you the power of not just communicating your own ideas but finding others to be in solidarity with you to try to bring about social change. And to go back to your point, also do expose corruption, to demand transparency, to create accountability, to use the Internet to break down barriers so businesses could be more easily started. Theres lots of things that come from that, so I wish you well.VICKY: How about you Secretary, what do you use? Are you a Blackberry, Messenger ?HILLARY CLINTON: I'm a Blackberry person, also because of the constant need to get information out of something as large as the State Department. We do Twitter in many different languages, we have sites on Facebook for our many different projects. One of my goals when I became Secretary wasto expand the definition of diplomacy. It's not just what I did today -- meeting the Foreign Secretary and Defense Secretary, and the President and members of his cabinet -- it's a much broader outreach like what were doing here today.VICKY: We have a series of questions from our Twitter and Facebook followers. Twitter user Alex Avillano wants to know, are you looking forward to becoming grandparents after the wedding of your daughter Chelsea, while Twitter user Lee Malapad asks, what do you want your grandchildren to learn from you?HILLARY CLINTON: Oh my goodness, first I want one and I don't have that yet. Of course I think it's human n! ature bu t I'm leaving that to my daughter and her husband. They have the right to make their own decisions, but you know, as someone who has grown up with a great role model, my mother who just recently died, and a wonderful relationship that I saw develop between my mother and my daughter, that is the greatest gift and blessing you could have, to see that, and hopefully Ill have the opportunity to experience that.VICKY: I think right now youre having that kind of relationship because I saw your interview with Chelsea. It was beautiful. You must have been so proud.HILLARY CLINTON: Thank you. I'm very proud and very grateful because of her interest in helping people and being someone who tries to make a contribution to society.HOWIE: I just read that she joined NBC News recently.HILLARY CLINTON: Yes, it was just announced, I think Monday, so very recently. And she's going to be contributing to a program that includes segments about individuals and organizations that make a difference for other people's lives and thats something that we very much believe in in our family.HOWIE: From Facebook user Aaron Lee - as a former First Lady, what advice can you give our President Aquino on the importance of having a first lady? Does it help in doing the job?HILLARY CLINTON: I just had a wonderful luncheon with the President and I was able to sit next to him. We had a great conversation. I think that is up to him to decide and certainly I thought that the hospitality, the way we were received, everything about the luncheon was first rate -- high marks to everyone who works with the President. His sister was there and in our history, we have Presidents whove had daughters and sisters who have helped out in doing things like social hospitality and I think President Aquino has handled it just right.VICKY: Posted via Twitter, Else Friginal asks, what's inside your purse? While Jerick Pea is asking, what's in your iPod or iPad?HILLARY CLINTON: I have quite a larg! e purse because when you travel as much as I do, you never know what you're gonna need, so in addition to make-up and all that goes with that, usually my Blackberry and papers of all kinds. I can't get away with a small purse because I'm in and out of meetings all the time, so it's kind of a purse/briefcase sort of operation going on here. But when I go overseas like on this trip, there are many more bags that come with me, not just my purse in case something else is needed.My iPod, just the usual wonderful, musical, interluding diversions that we all need, you know, a wide variety. And on my iPad, I have to confess mostly news sites because I do a lotof looking to see what's going on around the world.VICKY: What music is in your iPod, may I ask?HILLARY CLINTON: I'm a child of the 60's which is before any of you were born, I can tell by looking at this audience, probably many of your parents before they were born. And so you know, everything that I grew up with -- The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Who and the Doors, all of that. Plus I like classical music because I find it relaxing when I'm thinking about stressful things. So its mostly that combination.FROM THE AUDIENCE: With China's growing political, economic and military power, how does the United States plan on maintaining regional stability, integrity, and security?HILLARY CLINTON: Great question. I want to start by saying, the United States welcomes China's peaceful rise. We want to see hundreds and millions of poor people in China have a chance to develop, have a chance for a better economic future. We also feel the same way about everyone else in the region, and our goal is to try to work with our partners like the Philippines to make sure that everyone is growing in a balanced way, and that there isn't a kind of big thumb on the scale if you will, that pushes development or strategic issues like what happens in the oceans, one direction or the other.There needs to be a framework of laws, the rule of law, standar! ds and n orms that govern the economy and govern issues like opening up the oceans for freedom of navigation and making that an absolute rule. When we work with China we're very forthright with them in saying where we agree and we don't agree, and we worked hard to have a cooperative relationship so that it's not in any way antagonistic but its honest, it's candid.It is important for the United States to assert that we are a Pacific power. We are very fortunate to be located between the two great oceans, and we're gonna be maintaining a strong presence in the Pacific. That means talking with the Philippines about what they will need. President Obama will be in Australia talking with the Australians about what they need. Weve done the same with the Japanese, the Koreans. I go from here to Thailand. Well be in Indonesia, so we want to see a peaceful region where everyone can work together without intimidation or coercion.VICKY: We also have a question sent from Skype. This one came from Jose Antonio Vargas, a Filipino journalist in the United States who was in the news recently after he revealed that he is an undocumented alien in America.JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS: The immigration system in America is badly broken and undocumented immigrants, what we call in Tagalog as "tago nang tago," are being consistently demonized. Given the important role that documented and undocumented Filipino immigrants play in society, from economic contributions to social contributions, I'm curious, how would you define American, Secretary Clinton?HILLARY CLINTON: First of all I agree with you that our immigration system is broken, youre not gonna get any argument from me. That is something that I have said and advocated for reform for many years now. I was a Senator from New York, which is the beacon for immigrants from all over the world. I strongly believe we have to make some changes, but there is a difference between documented immigrants and undocumented immigrants because even if I look at wha! t I woul d like to see changed about America's immigration system, those people who play by the rules, who go into our country legally, have certain rights that people who don't lack. That's true of any country, that's not just the United States. There is no country on earth that doesn't make distinctions between people who are there legally and people who are there illegally.The difference is that so many people wanna come to our country. Many other countries don't have these problems because people are trying to get out, not get in. And yet we are very proud to say still a nation of immigrants, attracting people and very proud to do so. When I think about Americans I think of America as an idea as much as a place, people who believe in freedom, people who want to pursue their own God-given talents in a system that rewards hard work and effort, people who abide by our basic values, of our constitution, our founding documents.I think though its important, even if someone is in the United States illegally, that they be treated with a humane approach and not be mistreated and not be persecuted and discriminated against to the extent that they are really disadvantaged, especially if theyre children. For example I disagree with a lot of the people on the other side of the political spectrum in my country because if youre a child and youre brought to the United States as a child that's not a decision you made. And if you are a student and you wish to remain in the United States, I think you should be given a much greater opportunity to do so than people that I disagree with do. Immigration is a hot button issue right now in the United States but I'm confident we will eventually work it through because we are such a nation of immigrants and that's part of what America has stood for all these years.HOWIE: Recent polls show that you are easily one of the most popular American political figures. What would it take for you to run again, even as President Obama's running mate for example, in the next election?HILLA RY CLINTON: I appreciate that but I really believe that its time for me to finish my public service. I have been very honored to serve as First Lady, to serve as a Senator, now to serve as the Secretary of State, to have had the opportunity to run for President and hopefully break down some barriers to womens political participation, but I'm looking forward to moving on to the next phase of my life. So Im number one not at all interested in running for President again. I'm not interested in serving as Vice President. Besides, I think Vice President Biden is doing an excellent job. I will figure out other ways to serve. Before my husband was a President or before I was ever in politics, I worked in behalf of abused and neglected children. I worked to broaden the rights of women. I believe strongly that there are many ways I can serve without being in public elected life.HOWIE: So, just one term for you as the Secretary of State?HILLARY CLINTON: Yes, I've told President Obama that I expect him to be re-elected, he should be re-elected and I think he has earned his right to a second term, but I will be moving on as soon as he gets someone else in place to replace me.VICKY: What does your husband say about your political plans? Does he have strong feelings, or Chelsea for that matter, are they relieved that youre not running again?HILLARY CLINTON: I think that we really support each other in what we do. I think my husband's work after he left the White House has been so consequential, in his foundation and Clinton Global Initiative. He knows that there's life after politics and that I'm looking forward to testing those waters.VICKY: Would you recommend politics to Chelsea?HILLARY CLINTON: I don't recommend politics to anyone but if a young person comes to me and says he or she is interested in politics, I say number one, do you really know what youre getting yourself into, because it's hard, man or woman. If its a young woman I say its even harder, which it ! is becau se there are still all kinds of social and cultural expectations and double standards, and also the added pressure especially if youre married and have other obligations for parents or children or anything else.I also say you have to be prepared for the criticism that will come because so many people get into politics for the right reasons. They have an issue theyre passionate about. They want to make a difference and all of a sudden, they can't believe how people are accusing them of things and doubting their sincerity -- all that happens in politics. So I give them the advice that one of my predecessors Eleanor Roosevelt once gave, which is that if you get into politics you have to grow a skin as thick as a rhinoceros because it can be very painful. If you are not prepared, to just know that you're gonna be subjected to all of these criticisms, and if somebody still wants to do it I wish them well and tell them I hope that they find it as satisfying as I have.JESSICA SOHO: This is your second visit as Secretary of State to our country and so many of us can't help but wonder, why is she visiting us so often? Is the United States worried about how the Philippines and other countries and China will resolve the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea problem?HILLARY CLINTON: I like coming to the Philippines. I think I came three times, maybe four, I can't remember, when Bill was President and I have so many Filipino-American friends. And I really am pulling for the success of your country and growth of your economy, because I've always found it a little bit sad that so many of your people have to leave in order to make a living and send money home. I know so many talented Filipino-Americans as well as people in the Philippines that I just know this country can take off.We signed today something called the Partnership for Growth. The Obama administration picked four countries in the entire world that we thought had the best chance to really put it all together to accelerate development, ! and the Philippines is one of the four countries. Were really betting on you and its much broader than any strategic concern about the South China or West Philippine Sea -- that's an issue, it's an issue for many countries, not just yours. It's much broader. It really is our belief that this has to be the Philippines time, that there must be changes you have to make, the kind of reforms that will open up your economy. You have to invest in education so its not just those of you who have been fortunate enough to havea good education, but any child in the Philippines who will work hard, study hard, and make a difference.We really believe in the future of the Philippines and I'm just happy to be back to convey that message as passionately as I can because we think that what President Aquino and his government are trying to do, what we are doing with you in the Millennium Challenge Compact, the Partnership for Growth -- all of these are demonstrations of our confidence in your ability to do what needs to be done to really grow this country.(Applause from the audience, interrupted by protester shouting slogans against the Mutual Defense Treaty. Clinton was heard commenting, That goes with the territory.)ISABELLE DAZA: What do think Europe should do with their governments debt crisis and how do you think it will affect the US in the long run?HILLARY CLINTON: That is a very complicated question. Let me briefly say the following, first that everyone knows there have to be changes in how governments finance themselves and the services that they provide. Whether its your government or Europe or the United States or any other country, you have to begin to recognize that you cannot live beyond your means whether you are a person, a family or a country.And that's true with what we're going through in our own country, trying to have a balanced approach toward cutting our deficit, deal! ing with our debt but not strangling growth. But the challenge is that if you do too much to cut everything at one time it's likely that you will have such deprivation that the economy will slow down and many people will be unemployed and it just won't work its way out of the economic crisis. On the other hand you cant keep spending the way youre spending.I'm a big believer in balance and it will not surprise you to know that I thought my husband had it exactly right. When he left office, the United States had a balanced budget. We had a surplus and we did it in part by taxing rich people, which I think you have to do if youre gonna get balance and making it clear that there was a path to follow. But the opposition party in my country believes that you shouldn't tax people even if they're rich. I think that's wrong. I think you can have a balanced approach.Europe is going through the same crisis, trying to figure out how you deal with getting to that balance and we certainly are supporting them in these tough decisions that they are making, but it's gonna take a while for it to really play out before we know what the outcome will be.VICKY: What attitude do you take towards protesters who greet you, perhaps in every country that you visit, similar to the one we had earlier?HILLARY CLINTON: I do think that people have a right to express themselves. People have a right to have opinions that are different from others. Thats what democracy is about. The Philippines has a very vibrant democracy where people are unafraid to express themselves and where you have a very vibrant press which you are part of. I'm pretty much used to it after all these years. I obviously disagree with what the young woman was saying because I think that there is a real benefit to mutual solidarity, and also it was nice of her to sit down because after she expressed herself other people were interested in talking about something else. I think that's appropriate but it goes with that rhinoceros skin you just have to get used t! o.(E ditors note: Mrs. Clinton mistook the gender of the protester, a young male student from the University of the Philippines, probably because of his high-pitched voice. He did not sit down but was instead led out of the room after his protest action.)MALAYA OEBANDA, Visayan Forum Foundation: You've mentioned earlier about drug trafficking and you know the Philippines has been in the Tier 2 watch list for two consecutive years. This year however, we're very pleased to say that we are out of the watch list probably because of the strong collaboration of different stakeholders -- media, government, private sector, NGOs and the youth, primarily -- and also maybe the increase in the number of prosecuted trafficking cases. Given these notable achievements of the Philippines in terms of addressing our human trafficking issue, what can we expect from the US State department? HILLARY CLINTON: First of all, let me thank you for being an advocate against trafficking. Trafficking is modern-day slavery -- when people are in forced labor, when people are pushed into coercive situations, particularly as sexual slaves. It is dehumanizing and it is so important to stand up and speak out against it so I thank you for that.I also commend the Philippines for the progress you're making. I want to say that we've seen a real commitment in the last several years to tackling this problem. I think it was an inter-agency commission that was put together which has come up with a comprehensive approach and now you're implementing it. I mean the fact that youre prosecuting, that sends a very strong signal to the traffickers that you have to beware, you're not gonna get away with this.I can't speak for what the evidence will accumulate to -- we have this whole process that I am not part of, I get the final recommendations. But I think it's fair to say that we're very proud of the progress that the Philippines is making and we urge you to keep doing more and more because if you've ever encountered people who have b! een trea ted like they were less than human it just rips your heart out. I hope you will continue to do everything you can, to speak out against it and make sure these traffickers have no place to go and no place to hide.VICKY: Secretary, you have so much on your plate right now and you have to blend this with your other roles as a mother and as a wife. If you were given maybe three days to go on a dream vacation, where will you go and how will you spend it?HILLARY CLINTON: I've been fortunate to go to a lot of places around the world and there are so many beautiful places, but if I had three days I would go home and I would go to bed and sleep for three days probably, because I don't get to do enough of that. But this is the kind of question that I would be better able to answer in about 15 months. I can't answer it right now because I think it is so important in anyone's life to try to find, again my favorite word, that 'balance' and we are all living 24/7 lives. With the computer you could be on it literally everyday, all day and all night. So trying to get some balance in every life -- that means work, family balance, your recreational interest, all the things that make life worth living. But when you have a job like mine it's hard to do so that's one of the other reasons I'm looking forward to maybe a little more free time in my life.HOWIE: Thats a great note to end on. I'd like to say it's been a great honor to share the stage with you. We know that you have another engagement; you need to fly to Bangkok tonight.HILLARY CLINTON: Let me thank our three emcees for an excellent job that they have done. Thank you so much. Let me thank the sponsors and let me particularly thank the audience which is a representative sampling of young people primarily, and to tell you how honored I am to be here with you and to urge each of you, and I guess I would challenge each of you, to think of the role you can play in helping your country. What can you do to help the Philippines create oppo! rtunity for every citizen, to make sure that your government is accountable, transparent, open and responsive which I know President Aquino is trying very hard to make possible, and economically, what can you do to create even more jobs and opportunities for people?I'm excited to be with all of you because my hope is that I'll come back in ten years and then ten years after that and see so many positive changes because this generation of young Filipinos has really made a difference.- Transcribed by KENNETH CORTEZ and edited by YASMIN D. ARQUIZA, GMA News