President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines continued his war of words against the United States during his trip to Japan Tuesday. Duterte suggested he may end the defense treaties between the United States and the Philippines.
When addressing an audience of Japanese businessmen at the Philippines Economic Forum in Tokyo, Duterte said, “You know I went to China for a visit. And I would like to assure you that all there was, was economics. We did not talk about arms.”
He promised to stand by Japan, China’s main regional rival, in issues regarding Japan’s interests in the South China Sea dispute. He went on to say, according to CNN, “We did not talk about stationing of troops. … We avoided talking about alliances, military or otherwise. What happened there was just a few platforms where investments could come in.” He also insisted that his country would not be a “doormat” for the international community.
Addressing the drug war that has become his signature policy since taking office in June, Duterte said:
If you chastise me, reprimand me before the international crowd and you say: “Mr. Duterte, you stop the killings there. … Stop it because we will withhold aid and assistance to your country” — it’s like saying, “I am a dog on a leash, and if you do not stop biting the criminals, we will not throw the bread right under your mouth, we will throw it further so you’ll have to struggle to get it.”
“That’s what America wants me to be, a dog barking for the crumbs of their favor,” he added.
Reuters reported that after the meeting, Duterte said, “Manila would work closely with Japan on regional issues of common concern and uphold the values of democracy, adherence to the rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes including the South China Sea.”
Although he all but dismissed his most recent trip to China, Duterte made some hefty promises to his newfound allies in Beijing. During that visit, he announced “separation from the United States.” H said, “Both in military … not maybe social, but economics also, America has lost.”
However, his war of words with the United States did not stop there. Breitbart News reported that Duterte, while in China, called President of the United States Barack Obama, once again, a “son of a whore.” He also vowed that “he will work to strengthen ties with China, a nation that has usurped large swaths of Philippine territory in the South China Sea.”