President Rodrigo R. Duterte says he was "not a fan" of the United States, vowed to steer an independent course for the key Asian ally and refrain from confronting territorial rival China.
The president made the comments after his first foreign trip and after being having a fall out with U.S. President Barack Obama after allegedly cursed him.
"I am not a fan of the Americans... Filipinos should be first before everybody else," Duterte told reporters upon arrival in his hometown of Davao City Saturday.
"In our relations to the world, the Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy. I repeat: The Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy."
The president's trip to a summit in Laos mostly focused on his verbal trade with Obama followed by the U.S. president canceling the planned meeting. However, the pair met briefly after Duterte expressed regret.
Duterte strongly emphasized that his way of dealing with the crimes in the Philippines in none of America's business.
The two also differed on how to proceed after a UN-backed international tribunal in July outlawed most of China's claims to the strategic South China Sea, including areas that overlap with those of the Philippines and other neighbors.
Obama stressed that the tribunal's ruling was "binding" and could not be ignored by Beijing, which has rejected it.
According to Duterte, there can only be two options, "We got to fight, which we cannot afford at all, or talk."
On Friday during an overnight visit to Indonesia, Duterte announced that China had pledged to help build drug rehabilitation centers to treat Filipino crystal meth users.
Law enforcement officials believe criminal gangs in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong supply most of the illegal drugs to the Philippines.
"Only China has offered to help us," said the president.
Source: Channel News Asia
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