President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged that the Philippines needs the US because of the still ongoing dispute with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
In a speech he delivered in front of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in Mawab, Complostela Valley, the president expressed that he will “ask the US special forces to get out” and handle the peace talks in Mindanao himself. This is rooted in the historical grievances that the people have after suffering abuses from the hands of the American colonizers.
It can also be recalled that President Duterte responded aggressively to Americans who questions the human rights situation and the rampant killings of alleged drug suspects in the Philippines. In his speech, the President also talked about how the country was not Washington’s “vassal state” anymore and no one had the right to lecture him on human rights. Duterte later expressed regret over his “strong” comments against Obama, although those exact comments led to the cancellation of the PH-US scheduled bilateral meeting at the ASEAN Summit in Laos.
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However, the President recently claimed that he never told the American troops to “get out” of the Philippines because of the conflict over the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.
“We need them there in the China Sea. We don’t have armaments,” he said.
He also added that the Philippines is not ready for war because of the country’s lack of armament and engaging in such an act would only be equivalent to a “massacre”.
Meanwhile, Duterte is still proposing bilateral talks between the Philippines and China to fix the territorial dispute over some islands in the South China Sea. He urged that discussions about the issue should be based on the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Sources: (globalnation.inquirer.net, philstar.com)
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