President Rodrigo Duterte. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON)
LABANGAN, Zamboanga del Sur — President Duterte affirmed his regard for the United States as the country’s strongest ally.
“I reiterate our strong alliance with America,” Duterte told soldiers of the Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division on Wednesday.
Duterte said the United States would be the best supplier of arms and defense equipment for the Philippines.
Duterte’s statement came following reports that the US summoned the Philippines’ top diplomat in the US to make him explain President Duterte’s latest televised rant calling US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg “bakla” (gay) during his visit to a military camp days ago. Duterte said he was “pissed” with Goldberg, who, he said, made remarks during the election campaign that constituted interference in the country’s domestic affairs.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the meeting but said the topic was the comprehensive relations between the Philippines and US. The US Embassy in Manila also confirmed the meeting but declined from giving details on how the discussion on the issue went. SFM
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