Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told US President Barack Obama to “go to hell” and said the US had refused to sell some weapons to his country, but he did not care, because Russia and China were willing suppliers.
In his latest salvo, Duterte said he was realigning his foreign policy, because the US had failed the Philippines, adding that, at some point: “I will break up with America.”
It was not clear what he meant by “break up.”
Photo: AFP
During three tangential and fiercely worded speeches in Manila, Duterte said the US did not want to sell missiles and other weapons, but Russia and China had told him they could provide them easily.
“Although it may sound shit to you, it is my sacred duty to keep the integrity of this republic and the people healthy,” Duterte said.
“If you don’t want to sell arms, I’ll go to Russia. I sent the generals to Russia and Russia said: ‘Do not worry, we have everything you need, we’ll give it to you,’” he said. “And as for China, they said: ‘Just come over and sign and everything will be delivered.’”
His comments were the latest in a near-daily barrage of hostility toward the US, during which Duterte has started to contrast the former colonial power with its geopolitical rivals Russia and China.
In Washington, US officials downplayed Duterte’s comments, saying they were “at odds” with the two countries’ warm relationship and decades-long alliance.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there has been no communication from the Philippines about making changes in that relationship.
However, Earnest did not back down from criticism of Duterte’s tactics in his deadly war on drugs.
“Even as we protect the strong alliance, the administration and the United States of America will not hesitate to raise our concerns about extrajudicial killings,” he said at a briefing.
On Sunday, Duterte said he had received support from Russia and China when he complained to them about the US.
He also said he would review the US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
The deal, signed in 2014, grants US troops some access to Philippine bases, and allows them to set up storage facilities for maritime security and humanitarian and disaster response operations.
Duterte said the US should have supported the Philippines in tackling its chronic drug problems, but instead it had criticized him for the high death toll, as did the EU.
“Instead of helping us, the first to hit was the State Department. So you can go to hell, Mr Obama, you can go to hell,” he said.
“EU, better choose purgatory. Hell is full already. Why should I be afraid of you?” he added.
At a later speech, he said he was emotional, because the US had not been a friend of the Philippines since his election in May.
“They just ... reprimand another president in front of the international community,” he told the Jewish community at a synagogue. “This is what happens now, I will be reconfiguring my foreign policy. Eventually, I might in my time I will break up with America.”
It was not clear if by his “time,” he was referring to his six-year term in office.
According to some US officials, Washington has been doing its best to ignore Duterte’s rhetoric and not provide him with a pretext for more outbursts.
While an open break with Manila would create problems in a region where China’s influence has grown, there were no serious discussions about taking punitive steps, such as cutting aid to the Philippines, two US officials said on Monday.
Several of Duterte’s allies on Monday suggested that he act more like a statesman, because his comments had created a stir.
On Tuesday, Duterte said his outbursts were provoked by criticism of his crackdown on drugs.
“When you are already at the receiving end of an uncontrollable rush, the only way out is to insult,” he said. “That is my retaliation.”
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese