Duterte: I’m no US lapdog; I want PH free of foreign troops

President Rodrigo Duterte at the Naia Terminal 2 before his flight to Japan for a state visit. SCREENGRAB FROM RTVM

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte declared he would not be a lapdog to the United States or any other country as he vowed to pursue his dream of kicking out all foreign soldiers on Philippine soil.

In his departure speech for an official visit to Japan on Tuesday, Duterte again went on attack mode against the United States as he resented a visiting State Department’s official order to tone down his anti-American rhetoric or face sanctions.

“You know before we can move forward Mr. America, there are things—so many things — the massacre of the Filipinos before. These are historical hurts that would never go away. It all depends if you get a Philippine President to be your dog. You count me out. I’m not one of them,” said Mr. Duterte.

“I am not also a ‘tuta’ (dog) of any country. Mind you, the only ones who can treat me like a dog are Filipinos. Period. Nobody else,” he added.

The President said he initially agreed to “just shut up” on the advice of Foreign Affairs Secretary PerfectoYasay Jr. who spoke with visiting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel last Monday.

But Duterte said he couldn’t hold back his anger when he read the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s headline Tuesday morning: “Duterte sparks international distress.” “Son of a bitch. I’m just a small man, how can you be stressed with me? They’re just nervous because they’re guilty. What do I have to do with Africa? That’s international,”said the President.

The President also brushed aside Russel’s warning that his comments were making businessmen nervous. “Go ahead, leave us. We will suffer, but I assure you we will recover. We will live and survive. We have gone through the worst of times in this planet,” said the President.

The President was also ticked off by Russel claim that the Philippines-China rapprochement should not come at the expense of the US.   “These fools are really malicious. We didn’t talk anything in China except
on the best way to cook siopao and chopsuey. If China gives us something, thank you, if there’s none, then don’t,” said Mr. Duterte.

Aside from Russel, the President also addressed directly the Inquirer article on outgoing US ambassador Philip Goldberg who commented that the US was, has always been and would always be committed to defend the Philippines.

“There will be no wars anymore. Who will declare war against us? China? What will they get? They (US) want to talk about the bogeyman war. Stop that shit. Nobody is interested in wars anymore. And if there is a fight, you fight your wars. Do not include mine,” said the President who recalled how the Americans “carpet bombed” Manila when the Japanese were fleeing Manila at the end of World War II. The President had previously dug up the American atrocities at Bud Dajo in Jolo and Balangiga in Samar at the turn of the century.

“They think they are brighter than us. They tell us to be careful, or we’ll put you in prison. (Son of a bitch), I dare you,” he added.

He said his end goal in pushing for an independent foreign policy would be to kick out all foreign soldiers in the country. “I do not want to see any military man of any other nation except the Filipino soldiers. That’s the only thing That’s the long and short of it. I want an independent policy that will mot make me subservient to anyone,” said Duterte who expressed his displeasure anew over the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement which allowed the US to use military bases in the country.

The President said he preferred that Russel talk to him directly if ever he could visit the country again. “We will talk here, just the two of us in one room. I don’t want anybody else. If you want, you can listen through the plywood (wall) and listen to how I will…,” said the President without finishing his statement.

The President said he did not start this “fight” with the Americans, citing what he deemed was undue interference by Goldberg who said “something not very nice” about his “rape joke” about an Australian missionary in the elections; and criticisms from US President Barack Obama, the State Department, and the European Union on alleged state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs and their threat to withhold aid. He said he tried to explain to them that they were wrong in assuming that the over 3,000 killed during the heightened operations on drugs were all “state sanctioned” but they would not listen.

“I told them you (son of a bitches) do not make us your dog. Do not talk as if I am a dog with a leash, and throw (something) far which I can’t reach. They insulted my country, not me. I’m used to it (insults) because I’m a politician. And so what if they don’t respect me, I don’t respect them too. Maybe the elite and the rich in the world, including those in the Philippine, don’t like me. Leche, I don’t like them too,” said Mr. Duterte.  SFM/rga