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| Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte clenches fist with members of the Philippine Army during his visit at the army headquarters in Taguig city, Metro Manila, Philippines |
Philippine leader tells Obama 'go to
hell', says can buy arms from Russia, China
REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
(Please note: language in fourth paragraph may
offend some readers)
MANILA
(Reuters) - Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told U.S.
President Barack Obama to "go to hell" and said the United States 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 United States had
failed the Philippines and added that at some point, "I will break up with
America". It was not clear what he meant by "break up".
During three tangential
and fiercely worded speeches in Manila, Duterte said the United States 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'.
"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 towards the United States, during
which Duterte has started to contrast the former colonial power with its
geopolitical rivals Russia and China.
In Washington, U.S.
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.
Earnest did not, however,
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.
'HELL IS FULL'
On Sunday, Duterte said
he had received support from Russia and China when he complained to them about
the United States. He also said he would review a U.S.-Philippines Enhanced
Defense Cooperation Agreement.
The deal, signed in 2014,
grants U.S. 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 United
States should have supported the Philippines in tackling its chronic drugs
problems but that instead it had criticized him for the high death toll, as did
the European Union.
"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?"
At a later speech he said
he was emotional because the United States 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 U.S.
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 U.S. officials said on Monday.
Several of Duterte's
allies on Monday suggested he act more like a statesman because his comments
had created a stir. On Tuesday, he said his outbursts were because he was
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."
(Reporting by Martin Petty; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in
Brussels and Doina
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https://ca.news.yahoo.com/philippine-leader-tells-obama-hell-says-buy-arms-113004160.html
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