In a fiercely worded speech yet again, Filipino President
Rodrigo Duterte said he would "break up with America" because the US
has reportedly refused to sell weapons to Manila. He said he would rather
choose Russia and China to buy arms adding that Washington's rivals were ready
to help him. He also accused the US of failing the Philippines and said he was
realigning his foreign policy. "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'. "And as for China, they said 'just come
over and sign and everything will be delivered'," Duterte said on Tuesday
(4 October).
"I
have lost my respect for America," Duterte said as he complained at length
in two speeches about calls by the United States, the United Nations and the
European Union to respect human rights.
"Mr
Obama, you can go to hell."
Duterte
also branded Americans "hypocrites" and warned there may come a time
when he would completely break the two nations' alliance, which includes a
mutual defence pact.
"Eventually
I might in my term, break up with America. I would rather go to Russia or to
China. Even if we do not agree with their ideology, they have respect for the
people. Respect is important," he said.
Duterte,
who took office on June 30, has said the top priority of his six-year term is
eradicating illegal drugs in society, and he is "happy to slaughter"
three million addicts to achieve his goal.
More than
3,000 people have died in the crime war so far, according to official figures,
with rights groups warning of vigilante death squads carrying out mass murder
and a general breakdown in the rule of law.
Although
he uses fierce rhetoric, Duterte insists he is not breaking any laws, that
police are killing only in self defence and many of the other deaths are as a
result of gang wars.
- 'The
right way' -
Nevertheless,
a UN rights envoy has warned Duterte may be breaking international law with
incitements to kill.
Obama
also last month urged Duterte at a regional summit in Laos to respect the rule
of law and carry out his drug war "the right way".
A few
days earlier, Duterte had branded Obama a "son of a whore" after
being told the US president would raise the rights concerns at the summit.
Military
ties between the Philippines and the United States had grown stronger in recent
years partly in response to China's expanding presence in the strategically
vital South China Sea.
China
claims nearly all of the sea, even waters close to the Philippines and other
Southeast Asian nations, and has in recent years built artificial islands in
the disputed areas that are capable of hosting military bases.
To
counter China, the Philippines' previous president, Benigno Aquino, sought to
draw the United States closer.
This
included the signing of a new defence pact that allowed thousands more US
soldiers to rotate through the Philippines and for American military hardware
to be stationed on Filipino bases.
Aquino
also launched international legal action that in July saw a UN-backed tribunal
declare China's vast claims in the sea illegal.
However
Duterte has reversed course, warning he wants to scrap the new pact and that he
will not allow any more joint patrols with the United States in the South China
Sea.
On
Tuesday, Duterte told Filipinos they could not count on the United States, the
Philippines' former colonial ruler.
"Don't
believe in those Americans. they will not fight to die for us," he said.
About
2,000 American and Filipino troops are taking part in the eight-day war games,
which will be held partly in waters near the disputed areas of the South China
Sea.
In
speeches to launch the exercises in Manila, military chiefs from both sides
acted as if relations were normal.
"I
am confident that we will continue to build our partnership and capabilities
together," the 3rd US Marine Expeditionary Force deputy commander,
Brigadier General John Jansen, said at the opening ceremony.
However
a statement released by the US Embassy in Manila, hinted at the tensions.
"We
will continue to honour our alliance commitments, and we expect the Philippines
to do the same," embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina said in the statement.
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