He thinks he gets to pursue whatever loony policies he wants and we still have to defend his country.
Duterte Says He Ordered Preparations for US Drills Scrapped
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he has ordered his defense chief not to prepare for joint exercises with the U.S. military next year as he moved to realize his threat to scrap a high-profile symbol of his country's treaty alliance with Washington.
Duterte, however, reiterated he would not abrogate a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. that provides a security umbrella for the Philippines.
He has said, however, that he'll chart a foreign policy not dependent on Washington.
. . . .
Aside from halting at least 28 joint combat exercises with U.S. forces each year, including the Balikatan or shoulder-to-shoulder drills that involve thousands of American and Filipino troops each year, Duterte has opposed joint patrols with the U.S. Navy in the disputed South China Sea.
He also wants U.S. counterterrorism troops out of his country's south, saying they inflame restiveness among minority Muslims, who resent atrocities committed by American colonial forces in the early 1900s.
. . . .
Duterte, who took office in June and labels himself as a left-wing politician, however, has taken steps to scale back his country's military engagements with the U.S., which has criticized his bloody fight against illegal drugs, earning his ire.
Contrastingly, Duterte has reached out to China and Russia.
Last week, the foul-mouthed Duterte told Barack Obama to "go to hell."
He issued a new warning to his detractors Wednesday.
"If I don't respect you anymore, be prepared for the worst because I can give you gallons of gallons of epithets, curses," Duterte said.
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