Duterte says he’ll consider sticking with US weapons

Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. (Photo: Toto Lozano/PNA/Presidential Photo)

SUAL, Philippines—Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he’ll consider continuing to acquire weapons and defence equipment from treaty ally the United States if his military recommends so, despite offers from China and Russia.

Duterte made the remark in a speech in which he again railed at the U.S. with expletives for criticizing his deadly anti-drug crackdown, calling American officials “monkeys” and breaking a promise that he would no longer resort to trash talk.

Duterte, who took office in June, has been antagonistic to U.S., EU and U.N. officials who have raised human rights concerns over his brutal crackdown on illegal drug sellers and users and called for an end to extrajudicial killings.

He has used expletives in responding to their criticisms, telling President Barack Obama to “go to hell” in an outburst last month. He has declared his intention to scale back his country’s military engagements with Washington, including ending largescale joint combat exercises and the presence of visiting U.S. forces, while reaching out to expand once-frosty relations with China and Russia.

U.S. officials, however, say they have not been formally notified by the Philippines of any change in security relations and activities and stress that Washington wants to continue its decades-long alliance with Manila.

Asked about Duterte’s latest tirade, State Department spokesman John Kirby said it was inexplicably at odds with the close relationship that the U.S. continues to have with the Philippine government and people. He said that in a democracy, government “doesn’t rest on the shoulders of just one individual.”

“There are long standing relationships that we have nurtured over the years with figures in his government, and those relationships are still there, and they’re still vibrant,” Kirby told reporters, adding that the U.S. remains committed to developing a good working relationship with Duterte himself.

Duterte said he has asked his defence secretary and military officials to travel to China and Russia to check what weapons and defence equipment they have to offer, but added that the military’s recommendation will be crucial.

“China is open. Anything you want. They even sent me a brochure, telling me to choose and they will provide,” Duterte said.

“I’m just holding off because I’m looking at the military,” he said. “If you want to stick with America, fine, but assess it well and find a balance because we are being ridiculed.”

The brash president travelled to a wharf in Sual town in the northwestern province of Pangasinan to lead a poignant send-off ceremony for 17 Vietnamese fishermen who were arrested last month for poaching in local waters. The complaints were dropped after the Vietnamese said a typhoon forced their three boats toward the northern Philippines and that they had no intention of poaching.

Duterte said his Vietnamese counterpart appealed for the fishermen’s release and Wednesday’s ceremony — in which he shook hands with the fishermen and handed each a bag filled with food, a raincoat and toiletries — showed how Asians resolve problems.

“Vietnam drove the Americans away in humiliation,” Duterte said, using the ceremony to criticize U.S. actions that he said brought countries like Iraq, Syria and Libya to chaos and civil strife.

“I have good impressions of America but the problem is I have lost my respect, that’s why I’m bad-mouthing them,” he said. “These Americans never learned their lesson with their interventions.”