Under The Angsana Tree: Duterte's tirades vs US

Philippines' Duterte calls Obama 'son of a wh*re'

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte Calls Obama a "Son of a Wh*re"

Human rights group all praises for Duterte’s tirades vs US

For a change, human rights group, Karapatan, supported President Duterte on Saturday his series of attacks against the United States over documented reports of human rights violations by US troops and his call for the American special forces to stay out of Mindanao.

In a statement, Karapatan said it also welcomes Duterte’s statement in the last ASEAN Leaders’ Summit calling attention to the past and present atrocities of the US government and military in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao, and other countries.

“The US government is indeed a shameless hypocrite,” the group said. “While displaying concern for human rights in the Philippines in its criticism of Duterte, it has an undeniable record of perpetrating and instigating the worst forms of human and people’s rights violations in the country and the world over,” Karapatan said. The group also assailed the US for being “guilty of its war on terror and interventionist proxy wars and coups against peoples in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and against its own citizens.”

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Rodrigo Duterte Regrets Calling Obama A 'Son Of A B!tch'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and U.S. President Barack Obama. (Photo: The Canadian Press)

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed regret Tuesday over his "son of a b!tch" remark while referring to President Barack Obama, in a rare display of contrition by a politician whose wide arc of profanities has unabashedly targeted world figures including the pope and the U.N. chief.

In a statement read out by his spokesman, Duterte said that while his "strong comments" in response to questions by a reporter "elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the U.S. president."

Duterte had made the intemperate remarks Monday before flying to Laos, where he is attending a regional summit. He had been scheduled to meet Obama separately in Laos, but Obama indicated he had second thoughts, and the White House announced that the meeting had been cancelled.

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Duterte called Obama a 'son of a wh*re' and the internet did a collective facepalm

Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte has backed down quickly after his initial slur against U.S. president Barack Obama resulted in Washington cancelling a meeting scheduled between the two.

On Monday, Duterte warned Obama not to question him on extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, or "putang ina I will swear at you," he said, using the Tagalog phrase for "your mother is a wh*re".

Duterte was responding to a reporter on how he intends to explain the over 2,000 suspected drug pushers and users who have been killed since he launched a war on drugs after taking office on June 30.

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President Obama cancels meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

"Clearly, he's a colourful guy," Obama said

After being called an obscenity by the president of the Philippines, President Barack Obama cancelled a meeting with the leader, Rodrigo Duterte, scheduled for Tuesday.

Duterte had threatened to curse out the US commander in chief if Obama raised the issue of extrajudicial killings by Philippine authorities in a sweeping crackdown on drug trafficking. Speaking to reporters, Duterte, who took office in June, said the Philippines is a "sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony," according to the Associated Press.

He added that: "I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody. You must be respectful. Do not just throw questions. 'Putang ina' I will swear at you in that forum." That is the Tagalog phrase for "son of a b!tch" or "son of a wh*re."

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Philippines' Duterte says 'son of a wh*re' comment was not a personal attack on Obama as bilateral meeting cancelled

Rodrigo Duterte and Barack Obama were meant to meet in Vientiane

Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte expressed regret on Tuesday for a tirade against Barack Obama in which he called him a "son of a wh*re" and which led the US president to cancel a bilateral meeting.

"While the immediate cause was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the US president," a statement released by Mr Duterte said.

Mr Obama cancelled what would have been his first meeting with Philippines' newly elected president, a White House spokesman said on Tuesday, after Mr Duterte's tirade.

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The history behind Philippine President Duterte’s Obama insult

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks his mind. He does not back down. Some believe he took his plain speaking too far this week before leaving the Philippines for a summit in Laos.

Reporters asked how Duterte intended to answer President Obama’s concerns over the more than 1,300 drug suspects killed over the past two months in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. Using a well-known Tagalog obscenity, the Phillipine president called Obama a son of a bitch.

The U.S. responded by canceling a previously arranged official meeting between the two heads of state, although the two men did share an amiable exchange at the summit following Duterte’s comment.

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FILIPINO PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE CALLS BARACK OBAMA ‘SON OF A W****’

“You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum,”

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte launched a foul-mouthed tirade at Barack Obama Monday, calling him a “son of a whore” and pledging not to be lectured on human rights ahead of a planned meeting in Laos.

The Filipino leader has embarked on a mass crackdown on the drugs trade in the country after becoming president in May on the back of a campaign pledge to stop the drug trade. Since June 30, security forces and alleged vigilantes have killed 2,400 people in anti-drug operations or attacks, according to official figures. Duterte was asked about the prospect of Obama questioning him on his approach to war on drugs.

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Duterte tells Obama 'you can go to hell,' warns of breakup

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures with a firing stance as he announces issuing side

Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte told President Barack Obama "you can go to hell" in a speech Tuesday that was his strongest tirade so far against the U.S. over its criticism of his deadly anti-drug campaign, adding that he may eventually decide to "break up with America."

He also lashed out anew at the European Union, saying the bloc, which has also criticized his brutal crackdown, "better choose purgatory, hell is filled up."

Since becoming president in June, Duterte has had an uneasy relationship with the U.S. and with Obama and has declared intentions to bolster relations with China and Russia as he revamps Philippine foreign policy that has long leaned on Washington.

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Duterte: US, UN, EU not brighter than me; I’ll shame them

“We are a small nation. Maybe God gave you the money, but we have the brains,”

This is what President Rodrigo Duterte has to say to the United States (US), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) a day after saying a formal invitation to the Philippines has been sent to them.

“I will play with you in public. I will ask five questions that will humiliate you and 10 questions where you will agree with me,” he said in a speech at the 42nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo in Pasay City on Thursday.

The President reiterated his earlier pronouncement that he be allowed to shoot questions to the UN, EU and the US, whom he invited to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings under his administration.

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US warns Duterte: ‘No free pass’ on cusswords

READ MY LIPS. A defiant President Rodrigo Duterte, in this recent file photo, continues unbridled in his series of tirades against Washington, sparked by US criticism of increasing deaths linked to his unflagging anti-illegal drugs campaign. He has said he could get weapons from Russia and China, seen by analysts as being at odds with the warm ties between the two allies. John Paolo Bencito

THE US State Department said that no head of state would get a free pass on “unhelpful rhetoric” but said Philippine-American ties remain strong, even after President Rodrigo Duterte told US President Barack Obama to go to hell.

“I do not want to get into a tit-for-tat with President Duterte,” State Department spokesman Mark C. Toner said at a briefing. “I would simply say that we have a very strong bilateral relationship and a very strong people-to-people relationship.”

Asked about Duterte’s plan to move closer to China and Russia, Toner said good relations with the Philippines were not an either-or proposition.

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Either with us or against us: Defense cooperation in the age of Duterte

Just over a hundred days into the Duterte administration, Philippine foreign policy has taken a more consistent -- and demanding -- shape. At his public appearances, President Duterte has protested various foreign countries over their expressed concern on the war on drugs. Upset at these perceived slights, he has launched a threefold accusation that other countries have not bothered to learn more about the drug war, that they are hypocrites, and that it was improper for them to comment on domestic affairs.

These accusations, rough as they were, could yet have been a constructive starting point for Filipinos to discuss the role of foreign governments in our society. Instead, the message has been largely amid unnecessary insults, hyperbole, and issued challenges. The President said: “Fuck Obama” and raised a middle finger to the European Union. For his part, Foreign Affairs Secretary Yasay, Jr. penned a statement dedicated to how America had failed the Philippines.

Watching from outside the government, foreign policy may have grown more consistent over the past hundred days, but it has not necessarily grown more coherent. As of yet, there is no clear connection between what the administration would like to achieve -- presumably the protection of the Philippine archipelago, the 10-point socioeconomic agenda, or even cooperation against cross-border criminal activity -- with the way in which it has engaged others. Publicly, the overarching principle seems to be limited to protecting “Pinoy Pride,” and in a manner reminiscent of George W. Bush’s 2001 statement: “You’re either with us, or against us.”

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Does President Duterte know how to listen?

Last April, ex-President Fidel Ramos told me and a few others, with a twinkle in his eye, that he was voting Ro-Ro: not Roxas-Robredo, but Rodrigo Duterte and Leni Robredo. It was about time we had a president from Mindanao, he said.

This is a debt of gratitude Duterte recognizes. The very first words he said at his inaugural address were in honor of his benefactor: "President Fidel Ramos, sir, salamat po sa tulong mo (thank you for your help) making me President."

On the 100th day of his presidency, Duterte received a startling gift from Ramos: A strongly worded column in the Manila Bulletin, summing up the first 100 days as "Team Philippines losing badly."

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Duterte stuck in '20th century thinking'

UNSOLICITED ADVICE.' President Rodrigo Duterte chats with former president Fidel Ramos at a reception organized by the San Beda Law Alumni Association on July 14, 2016. Photo by King Rodriguez/PPD

Former president Fidel Ramos criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for focusing on historical atrocities, saying the country's leaders should be more forward-thinking.

"For a leader, I am sorry to tell this: President Duterte, my president, our president, that is 20th-century thinking," Ramos said in an interview with Lynda Jumilla on ANC.

"We are now in the 21st century and we must look forward to this better world that our young people aspire for," he added.

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Ramos Rebukes Duterte

Can Rodrigo Duterte succeed as Philippine President while pursuing a violent antidrug campaign, foul-mouthed tirades and an anti-American turn? A Social Weather Stations poll released Thursday showed 76% of Filipinos support him after 100 days in office. But on Sunday an even more popular Philippine leader, former President Fidel Ramos, warned that Mr. Duterte is hurting the country.

“Team Philippines [is] losing in the first 100 days of [his] administration—and losing badly. This is a huge disappointment and let-down to many of us,” Mr. Ramos wrote in the Manila Bulletin. Instead of addressing public concerns over poverty, governance, terrorism and other issues, Mr. Duterte is “stuck in unending controversies about extrajudicial killings of drug suspects” and his penchant for “using cuss-words and insults instead of civilized language.”

Mr. Ramos’s blast is especially notable because the 88-year-old elder statesman helped persuade Mr. Duterte, a former mayor famous for harshly fighting crime, to run for President. This earned Mr. Ramos praise in Mr. Duterte’s inaugural address and an appointment as special envoy for the South China Sea.

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Philippines not US 'little brown brother'

The Philippines wants its alliance with the US, but won't be treated like a "little brown brother". (AAP)

The Philippines is firmly committed to its alliance with the United States but will not be lectured on human rights and treated like a "little brown brother," the country's Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay says.

Speaking in Washington on Thursday after recent remarks by the Philippines' outspoken new President Rodrigo Duterte that have strained relations with the United States, Manila's main ally, Yasay said some of Duterte's remarks had been misunderstood.

He said Duterte had explained that his call for the withdrawal of US special forces from the southern Philippines was only a temporary measure to keep them out of harm's way while Philippine forces undertook an offensive against Abu Sayyaf militants.

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Duterte Dares CIA To "Oust" Him, Puts Joint Patrols With US On Hold

In what has now become a daily ritual, one day after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte dared Barack Obama to "withdraw assistance", not missing the opportunity to insert one "you can go to hell, Mr Obama", on Friday the outspoken president once again took aim at the US, this time targeting the CIA, whom he urged to try and oust him, as he branded Western critics of his deadly crime war "animals" and vowed many more killings.

Whether due to paranoia, or simply the result of historical precedent, in two fiery speeches to mark his 100 days in office, Duterte repeatedly raised the prospect of local or foreign opponents seeking to remove him from power in an effort to stop the violence. But, as Channel News Asia reports, he insisted he would not be intimidated and that his campaign against drugs, in which an average of more than 33 people a day are being killed, would not end. "You want to oust me? You want to use the CIA? Go ahead," Duterte said in a speech in his southern home town of Davao city, referring to the Central Intelligence Agency, while railing against US President Barack Obama and other critics. The speech follows and accusation last month in which Duterte said the CIA was plotting to kill him, but gave no specifics.

"Be my guest. I don't give a shit," he said. "I'll be ousted? Fine. (If so) it's part of my destiny. Destiny carries so many things. If I die, that's part of my destiny. Presidents get assassinated."

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Philippines' Duterte dares CIA to 'oust' him

In two fiery speeches to mark his 100 days in office, Duterte repeatedly raised the prospect of local or foreign opponents seeking to remove him from power in an effort to stop the violence. World Bulletin / News Desk

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday dared the United States' CIA spy agency to try and oust him, as he branded Western critics of his deadly crime war "animals" and vowed many more killings.

But he insisted he would not be intimidated and that his campaign against drugs, in which an average of more than 33 people a day are being killed, would not end.

"You want to oust me? You want to use the CIA? Go ahead," Duterte said in a speech in his southern home town of Davao city, referring to the Central Intelligence Agency, while railing against US President Barack Obama and other critics.

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Duterte announces major shift in US-Philippine alliance

Presidente Duterte has said the Philippines will stop joint patrols with the US in the South China Sea and will consider arms deals with Russia and China, a major blow to US and Australian strategic interests in the region

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he won't allow government forces to conduct joint patrols of disputed waters near the South China Sea with foreign powers, apparently scrapping a deal his predecessor reached with the US military earlier this year.

Duterte also said on Tuesday he was considering acquiring defence equipment from Russia and China. The Philippines has traditionally leaned on the US, its longtime treaty ally, and other Western allies for its security needs.

related: Philippines in Duterte damage control

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Duterte Seeks Arms From China, Ends Joint Patrols With U.S.

President Rodrigo Duterte holds up a photo, citing accounts of US troops who have killed Muslims during the US occupation of the Philippines in the early-1900s during a speech at the oath-taking of newly appointed government officials, at Malacanang palace in Manila on Sept. 12. TPhotographer: Ed Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he’s considering buying weapons from Russia and China while also ending joint patrols with U.S. forces in the South China Sea.

In a televised speech Tuesday before military officers in Manila, Duterte said that two countries -- which he didn’t identify -- had agreed to give the Philippines a 25-year soft loan to buy military equipment. Later, he said that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and “technical people” in the armed forces would visit China and Russia “and see what’s best.”

While Duterte said he didn’t want to cut the “umbilical cord” with his allies, the remarks were the latest to signal a shift away from the Philippine-U.S. defense treaty in place since 1951. Since engaging in a public spat with U.S. President Barack Obama last week, Duterte has denounced American military killings during the early days of colonial rule and called for U.S. forces to leave the southern island of Mindanao.

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Philippines president Duterte is playing China against the US on buying arms

Philippines’ Duterte eyes arms from China, ends joint patrols with United States
Duterte wanted all American special forces out of the southern Philippines

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Just empty talk? Philippines’ Duterte is playing China off against US, analysts say

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may have said he wants to buy arms from China, but he is simply playing China off against the United States rather than presenting a realistic plan, analysts say.

And the fallout from an international tribunal ruling on the South China Sea is far from over, they added.

Duterte told military officers in Manila on Tuesday that he would not allow government forces to conduct joint patrols of disputed waters near the South China Sea with foreign powers, and that he was considering acquiring defense equipment from Russia and China.

related:
Philippines' Duterte eyes arms from China, ends joint patrols with United States
The Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte: saviour or madman?
'Strongman' Duterte isn't so tough when faced with economic or territorial battles

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Philippines tells US no joint patrols in South China Sea

The Philippine defense chief said Friday he told the U.S. military that plans for joint patrols and naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea have been put on hold, the first concrete break in defense cooperation after months of increasingly strident comments by the country's new president.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also said that 107 U.S. troops involved in operating surveillance drones against Muslim militants would be asked to leave the southern part of the country once the Philippines acquires those intelligence-gathering capabilities in the near future.

President Rodrigo Duterte also wants to halt the 28 military exercises that are carried out with U.S. forces each year, Lorenzana said. Duterte has said he wants an ongoing U.S.-Philippine amphibious beach landing exercise to be the last in his six-year presidency as he backs away from what he views as too much dependence on the U.S.

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Duterte says he wants U.S. special forces out of southern Philippines

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called for the withdrawal of U.S. special forces troops from a group of islands in the southern Philippines, saying their presence could complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners.

Duterte, who was in the spotlight last week over a televised tirade against the United States and President Barack Obama, said the Americans still in Mindanao were high-value targets for the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf militants as counter-insurgency operations intensify.

"They have to go," Duterte said in a speech during an oath-taking ceremony for new officials. "I do not want a rift with America. But they have to go."

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Duterte to visit China amid strained Philippine ties with U.S.

China confirmed on Wednesday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit China next week, as the Southeast Asian leader's relationship with its traditional ally the United States frays.

Under Duterte, Manila's relations with Washington have come under strain and the recently elected president has opted to put aside years of hostility with China, especially over the disputed South China Sea, to form a new partnership.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, confirming a visit previously flagged in Manila, said Duterte would meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on his Oct. 18-21 trip and have a "deep exchange of views" on how to improve ties, cooperation and regional issues.

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Duterte readies huge business delegation for Beijing visit as pivot from Washington gathers pace

About 250 Philippine business executives will visit Beijing with President Rodrigo Duterte next week as seeks a new partnership with China at a time when tensions between Manila and its traditional ally, the United States, are mounting. In doing so, he will set aside years of hostility between Beijing and Manila.

There has been no announcement about the delegation, but business groups and government officials said registration to join Duterte on his Oct. 18-21 visit had been oversubscribed. Filipino executives are eager to talk with Chinese business leaders and government officials about deals in a range of sectors, from rail and construction to tourism, agribusiness, power and manufacturing, the sources said.

Initially only about two dozen Philippine entrepreneurs were to accompany Duterte, but the number ballooned to about 250, Trade Undersecretary Nora Terrado said.

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Philippine President Duterte to visit China next week

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will make a state visit to China next week in the latest instance of reaching out to Beijing despite an ongoing territorial dispute, while questioning his country's traditional ties with the United States.

The Oct. 18-21 visit will include talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang touching on ways to improve bilateral relations and deepen cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wednesday at a regular news briefing.

"China anticipates that President Duterte's visit can help with enhancing political trust ... dealing with disputes properly through dialogue and bringing the bilateral strategic cooperative relationship for peace and development back to the track of sound and steady development," Geng said.

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Duterte: Philippines will pursue policies independent of US, looks to acquire arms from China and Russia

The first step for the Philippines is to opt out of US-led patrols of the South China Sea because the country does "not want trouble," the president said announcing that his navy "will not join any expedition of patrolling the seas... because I do not want my country to be involved in a hostile act."

The second step that Duterte hinted at was the ending of the Phillipino reliance on US weaponry by at least partially shifting the procurement of arms to Russia and China. Duterte said that the two countries had agreed to give the Philippines a 25-year soft loan to buy military equipment.

About 75 percent of the Philippines' arms imports since the 1950s came from the US, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Russia and China have since that time have been out of the loop.

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Duterte looks at Chinese defence equipment

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he won't allow government forces to conduct joint patrols of disputed waters near the South China Sea with foreign powers, apparently scrapping a deal his predecessor reached with the US military earlier this year.

The Philippines has traditionally leaned on the US, its longtime treaty ally, and other Western allies for its security needs.

The remarks were the latest from the president who has had an uneasy relationship with the US and is trying to mend relations with China strained over South China Sea disputes.
Duterte said he wanted only Philippine territorial waters, up to 12 nautical miles offshore, to be patrolled by Filipino forces, but not other offshore areas that are contested.

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WE WILL BUY ARMS FROM CHINA & RUSSIA, NOT U.S. | DUTERTE

In the ongoing fight against terrorism in the South, primarily with the ISIS affiliated Abu Sayyaf who are engaged in city bombings and cross border kidnappings, the Duterte government plans to avail of Russian and Chinese made military equipments through a 25-year soft loan offered by both governments without strings attached as perennially experienced with US arms procurements in the last 70 years.

At present government troops suffered heavy casualties in Basilan and Sulu, due to malfunctioning weaponry supplied by the United States. It is public knowledge that the Abu Sayyaf has far more advanced equipment in carrying out their operations.

Philippine leader seeks arms from Russia & China, pursues policies independent from US

The Philippines will pursue “independent” foreign and military policies separate from US interests in the region, the country’s president said, announcing that in order to avoid any confrontations with China he would halt joint Filipino navy patrols with the US.

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Duterte attacks US, praises China in Indonesia

In his first engagement in Indonesia, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte defended himself from recent international criticism and denied cursing at US President Barack Obama.

But in the same speech in front of the Filipino community on Friday, September 9, he also attacked the United States for previous brutalities and praised China. On Friday, September 9, Duterte said: "I never confronted Obama here. I do not know him."

He was referring to news headlines that said he cursed at Obama and called the US leader a "son of a whore," when he was asked by media about the possibility of being questioned on extrajudicial killings by the United States. The statements prompted the US side to cancel the bilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos.

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Duterte's tilt toward China upsets U.S. strategy in Asia

Just when some of China's neighbors were seeking to curtail its expansionism, along came Rodrigo Duterte.

In less than three months on the job, the 71 year-old Philippine leader has used expletives in talking about U.S. President Barack Obama and vowed to end cooperation with the U.S. military in both fighting terrorism and patrolling the disputed South China Sea. He's moved to boost economic and defense ties with China and Russia.

While Duterte is unpredictable -- one day calling China "generous" and the next threatening a "bloody" war if Beijing attacked -- his behavior has undermined U.S. efforts to rally nations from Japan to Vietnam to Australia to stand up to China's military assertiveness.

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Duterte slams the killings of African-Americans in the US

After the United States expressed its concern about the spate of summary killings in the Philippines, President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte also expressed his concern on Tuesday about the killings of African-Americans in the US

According to Duterte, there are many African-American citizens in the U.S. who are being unjustly killed by the police.
“The Philippine government is also worried about what’s being done to the black people in America, being shot while lying down. I’m going to send my rapporteur also and investigate them,” Duterte said.

On Monday, U.S. Department of State deputy spokesperson Mark C. Toner said during a press conference in Washington that the U.S. government is troubled by the report of human rights violations in the Philippines.

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Duterte decries Hitler comparison, but 'would be happy to slaughter drug addicts'

President Rodrigo Duterte lashed at his critics whom he said were comparing him — unfairly — to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler

"Kaya kung ikaw nandito, bakit hindi ka magmumura? [If you were in my position, why wouldn't you curse?] You're portrayed or pictured to be some … a cousin of Hitler. And you do not even bother to find out, to investigate," the President said in a speech early Friday morning.

The tough-talking president then apparently embraced the comparison, and said that if Hitler massacred millions of Jews, he would do the same to millions of drug addicts in the country.

"Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there is three million drug addicts [in the Philippines], there are. I'd be happy to slaughter them. At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have...,"

Duterte added, "You know, my victims, I would like to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition," he said.

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Duterte cautioned vs. issuing further remarks that could harm PHL-US ties

A political analyst on Monday cautioned President Rodrigo Duterte against issuing further statements that could harm the country's strong ties with the United States.

In an interview on "Balitanghali," De La Salle University professor Richard Heydarian said the situation should not reach a "tipping point" where the US will be forced to cut development aid to the Philippines.

"You could say na ang ating bilateral deals kunwari aid sa atin ng US pwede maapektuhan and they could raise the issue of karapatang tao bilang isang basehan para i-downgrade sa atin," he said.

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Duterte to US forces: Get out of southern Philippines

Days after saying he was "not a fan of the Americans", the president says he wants to "reorient" foreign policy with US.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told American special forces to leave Mindanao, blaming their presence in the southern region for the continuing conflict, while signalling his desire to "reorient" the country's foreign policy vis-a-vis the United States.

Just days after declaring that the Philippines "will pursue an independent foreign policy", Duterte said on Monday in a rambling speech from the presidential palace.

"For as long as we stay with America, we will never have peace in that land [Mindanao]. We might as well give it up."

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Anakbayan backs Duterte in ‘righteous rage’ vs US; calls on him to match words with action

President Rodrigo Duterte’s strong statement against United States President Barack Obama is courageous and just especially considering the long history of unequal and oppressive PH-US colonial relations. US imperialist war and exploitation is responsible for deaths of millions of Filipinos and the deepening poverty, hunger and backwardness in the country.

The US terror war is likewise believed to be responsible for the recent bombings in Davao, aimed at pressuring Duterte into submission as the US again pursues its interests in the ASEAN regional meeting.

In a historic first, and in stark contrast with the previous Aquino government, Duterte showed he will not kowtow to Obama as he strongly declared the nation a sovereign state and proclaimed that the US is no master. We expect him to match his strong words with even stronger action.

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What's behind Duterte's pause of US-Philippines military cooperation?

For the United States and the Philippines, military cooperation may be a thing of the past – at least for now.

Plans for joint patrols and naval exercises in the South China Sea are on hold, Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters Friday, in a message he said had been communicated to the US military. Under President Rodrigo Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, the US and Philippine militaries held two rounds of naval exercises there. Other military cooperation is also expected to draw to a close following the joint amphibious military exercises currently going on, Secretary Lorenzana said.

The shift is the latest indicator of a cooling in relations between the United States and its one-time colony. Some may see it as an effort on the part of Mr. Duterte to act on the nationalist rhetoric that propelled him to power. On another interpretation, reducing military cooperation with the US frees the Philippines up to seek new military partnerships. Lorenzana implied the move might be temporary.

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5 Facts why President Rodrigo Duterte wants to buy arms from China and Russia

Instead of engaging in war games being held annually in the Philippines, president Rodrigo Duterte prefers to use the finances from joint war games for buying weapons for strengthening the defense capability of the country. This is a solution that needs to be initiated because the Philippines is believed still behind from its neighbors when it comes to an arms race. This is a much better solution so that the country can further regenerate its weapons against groups and territories that can improve the country's defense forces.

Rodrigo Duterte believes that foreign militaries operating in Mindanao island could disrupt current Philippine military operations. This is because the Abu bandits are now creating an alliance with other groups in the mainland Mindanao, which could cause another problem with the Philippine government. For this reason, the president is certain that military operations should be only initialized by the Philippine government. As a country who is struggling with military operations against the terror groups, the Philippine government believes that there will be a consequence whenever there are foreign troops operating in the country.

President Rodrigo Duterte's statement against the military operations of US Army in Mindanao was made in a press conference in Malacanang on September 14, 2016. He believes that without the presence of foreign troops in Mindanao, terrorist groups will not be able to find another way to generate intimidation to the society by attempting to abduct foreigners.

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Agot Isidro calls Duterte ‘psychopath’ for daring EU, US to withdraw aid

Agot Isidro and Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. (Duterte photo by Bernard Testa/InterAksyon)

Reacting to a Rappler report where President Rodrigo Duterte dared the European Union and the United States to go ahead and withdraw aid from the Philippines, actress Agot Isidro took to Facebook Friday and posted a strongly worded message to the chief executive.

The president made the statement in reaction to the possible withdrawal of assistance based on statements made by Vice President Leni Robredo. He boldly declared that the country can survive without foreign assistance and added that he will be the first to go hungry and die of hunger but will “never, never compromise” the Filipinos’ integrity.

In response, Agot posted this message:

“Unang-una, walang umaaway sa iyo. As a matter of fact, ikaw ang nang-aaway.

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What's behind Duterte's pause of US-Philippines military cooperation?

For the United States and the Philippines, military cooperation may be a thing of the past – at least for now.

Plans for joint patrols and naval exercises in the South China Sea are on hold, Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters Friday, in a message he said had been communicated to the US military. Under President Rodrigo Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, the US and Philippine militaries held two rounds of naval exercises there. Other military cooperation is also expected to draw to a close following the joint amphibious military exercises currently going on, Secretary Lorenzana said.

The shift is the latest indicator of a cooling in relations between the United States and its one-time colony. Some may see it as an effort on the part of Mr. Duterte to act on the nationalist rhetoric that propelled him to power. On another interpretation, reducing military cooperation with the US frees the Philippines up to seek new military partnerships. Lorenzana implied the move might be temporary.

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Rodrigo Duterte Has Achieved a Strange Feat in the South China Sea

Rodrigo Duterte is a maddening, murderous maverick who’s achieved a weird feat in the South China Sea (SCS)—delivering benefits to both China and the United States. His swing towards China offers Beijing all sorts of goodies, from the possibility of a bilateral deal in the SCS to a chance to unbalance the US rebalance.

The Duterte benefit to the US is momentary and may soon be outweighed by serious damage to the alliance. Still, at this bend in the river, Duterte has given Washington one big gift—the SCS crisis that didn’t happen. The new Philippines president changed the immediate tone of the SCS argument at an otherwise dangerous moment. Sometimes the mad and bad throw up unusual chances.

As China and America ponder the shifts and shouting coming from the new president, they have a common dilemma, well encapsulated by The Economist’s judgement: “Mr Duterte is not just crass and brutal; he is alarmingly volatile.” But volatility has its uses as well as dangers in international relations. And the mercurial Duterte has certainly shaken up the SCS issue.

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They're Baaack: US Navy Returns to Philippines' Subic Bay Amid China Fears

After being kicked out 20 years ago, the US Navy has returned to the base at Subic Bay, Philippines, where American military personnel are being welcomed in the wake of Chinese assertiveness in the region.

The US Navy began using the base last year after the United States and the Philippines came to terms on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The deal grew from concern in the Philippines about China’s growing presence in the South China Sea.

Some 6,000 US personnel came to Subic in April, and are set to return for exercises in 2016 in agreement with Philippine authorities, the Christian Science Monitor reported. US ships are using Subic Bay as a resupply port, and American merchant marine ships docked there in late October.

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Duterte on China visit: 'No sense fighting over a body of water'

There is no sense in going to war over the disputed South China Sea as talks are far better, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told China's official Xinhua news agency, praising China for not criticizing his country, unlike Western nations.

Duterte goes to China on Tuesday with at least 200 members of the Philippine business elite to pave the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance, amid deteriorating ties with longtime ally the United States.

On Sunday, Duterte said he would raise a controversial arbitral ruling on the South China Sea with China's leaders and vowed not to surrender any sovereignty or deviate from the July award by the tribunal in the Hague.

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Duterte in China: Philippine leader turns conciliator-in-chief?

President Rodrigo Duterte (centre) has spoken of a turning point in relations with China

What has happened to the swashbuckling presidential candidate who six months ago said he would personally retake the Spratly Islands from China, riding out to sea on a jet ski to plant the Philippine flag on a disputed shoal? And what has happened to the foulmouthed commander-in-chief of a key US ally who only last month casually called his American counterpart a "son of a whore"?

Ahead of this week's state visit to China, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has washed out his mouth and prepared a new set of lines. He has talked of a key turning point in relations with China, promised to speak softly and praised China's "good, sound policies, internal and external".

Abandoning his jet ski threats, he told China's state news agency Xinhua: "There is no sense in going to war. There is no sense fighting over a body of water…. We want to talk about friendship, we want to talk about co-operation, and most of all, we want to talk about business. War would lead us nowhere."

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Will Philippines Cut Ties With US and Grow Closer to China?