For the second time in as many days, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is threatening to cut military ties with the United States.
Duterte spoke Wednesday during an economic forum in Tokyo, where he is in the second day of a three-day official visit to a key U.S. ally in the region. He said he wants the Philippines “free of the presence of foreign military troops” within the next two years, even if he as to “revise or abrogate agreements.”
A small number of U.S. troops are posted on the southern island of Mindanao to assist in counter-terrorism operations against a homegrown Islamic insurgency.
Duterte was scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has emphasized Tokyo’s strong ties with Washington as a counter balance to Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.
The combative, 71-year-old Duterte has directed a string of angry tirades and threats at the United States in response to criticism over his violent anti-drug campaign that has killed nearly 4,000 people since he assumed office on June 30. During a state visit to China last week, he declared his intention to cut off all ties with the U.S., but later reversed himself.
US vs China
Duterte’s expressions of anti-U.S. rage are in stark contrast to his pursuit of accommodation and cooperation with Beijing. Long before his trip to Beijing, he said he would not bring up a ruling by an international tribunal that dismissed China’s aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea and violated Manila’s sovereign rights by interfering with Philippine fishing and oil exploration activities in the area.
The Philippine leader tried to assure the audience at Wednesday’s forum that he is simply seeking closer economic ties with China, not military.
Later, Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay attempted to clarify President Duterte’s remarks, telling reporters that Manila would continue to honor all agreements with Washington because “our national interests still continue to converge.”
Much of his Duterte’s wrath has been directed at President Barack Obama, whom he has called a “son of a whore,” a vulgar slur denouncing someone’s mother.
Richard Green contributed to this report.
