MANILA — The
Philippines “will survive” in case the United States, its longest standing ally, withdraws aid and
defense support because of President Rodrigo Duterte’s unceasing tirades, Defense Secretary Delfin
Lorenzana told the Senate Tuesday morning.

During a hearing on the defense department’s
proposed 2017 budget, Lorenzana gave this response when Sen. Panfilo Lacson asked what would
happen if the country’s Mutual Defense Treaty with the US were abrogated.

“If the treaty is
abrogated because the clash continues, and also because [the President keeps on saying] ‘F*** you,’
‘go to hell,’ if the US tires of all that, how crucial is that?,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson asked the defense
chief.

“I think we will survive,” Lorenzana said, prompting subdued laughter at the hearing
room.

READ: Duterte
taunts Obama: Rethink ties or lose us

If that happens, the defense chief said the Philippines could look to other allies for support,
including Australia, Japan and South Korea.

Asked to expound later, Lorenzana said the
country’s ties with the US were on a “status quo” and that the President was not abrogating the MDT.

“Yes,” Lorenzana again responded when asked about surviving with the US. “Who will attack
us? Will China attack us? I don’t think we will be attacked by China or Japan or whatever.”

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Duterte had many times lashed out at the US and President Barack Obama for criticizing
his war on drugs, while appearing chummy with other superpowers China and Russia, the latter being
known to have had a long history of bickering with America.

In a speech Friday night, the
President even challenged the US: “Assess yourselves because if you don’t, you will lose the
Philippines.”

But Lorenzana said the Philippines is not severing ties with the US.

“We’re not giving up our relationship to the US. These are just speculations on how do we survive
if they no longer give us aid. We will survive. But the umbrella [of our relationship], the MDT, will be
there. The President is not abrogating that,” he said.

He said the President has just been
taking US criticism on his bloody drug war “personally.”

“He feels bad that instead of helping
him, he is being criticized. While our other allies here, our neighbors are helping us rehabilitate (drug
addicts) without strings attached,” Lorenzana said.

The President recently said that China is supporting the construction of a drug rehabilitation
center inside Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija. This despite unresolved disputes in the South China
Sea.

READ: Duterte:
China-funded rehab center almost complete

“He is just hurting that they (Americans) violated our human rights before, now you are
reprimanding us,” he said.

Lorenzana said the US remains the biggest source of defense aid
for the Philippines. CDG/rga