Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte has told US President Barack Obama to "go to hell" and says while the United States have refused to sell some weapons to his country, he doesn't care because Russia and China are willing suppliers.
In his latest salvo, Duterte said on Tuesday he had lost respect for the United States and railed at its concerns about his bloody war on drugs, calling his critics "fools" who could not stop him carrying out a campaign that has killed more than 3400 people in just over three months.
In a tangential, at times profane speech in Manila, Duterte said the United States did not want to sell missiles and other weapons, but Russia and China had told him they could provide them easily.
"Although it may sound s**t to you, it is my sacred duty to keep the integrity of this republic and the people healthy," Duterte said in his second of two televised speeches on Tuesday.
"If you don't want to sell arms, I'll go to Russia. I sent the generals to Russia and Russia said, 'Do not worry, we have everything you need, we'll give it to you'.
"And as for China, they said, 'Just come over and sign, and everything will be delivered'."
His comments were the latest in a near-daily avalanche of hostility towards the United States, during which Duterte has started to contrast the former colonial power with its geopolitical rivals Russia and China.
Duterte also said he would review a US-Philippines Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement.
The deal, signed in 2014, grants US troops some access to Philippine bases, and allows them to set up storage facilities for maritime security and humanitarian and disaster response operations.
He said the United States should have supported the Philippines in tackling its chronic drugs problems but instead criticised him for the high death toll, as did the European Union.
"Instead of helping us, the first to hit was the State Department. So you can go to hell, Mr Obama, you can go to hell," he said.
"EU, better choose purgatory. Hell is full already. Why should I be afraid of you?"
According to some U.S. officials, Washington has been doing its best to ignore Duterte's rhetoric and not provide him with a pretext for more outbursts.
While an open break with Manila would create problems in a region where China's influence has grown, there were no serious discussions about taking punitive steps such as cutting aid to the Philippines, two US officials said on Monday.
Reuters
