Duterte says Trump should not be underestimated

MANILA, Philippines — He has been compared to US President Donald Trump but for President Rodrigo Duterte, the American leader has one advantage over him.

"Billionaire, grabeng ganda ng asawa niyan. Inggit ako. Kung magiging bilyunaryo ka, ganyan ang bunganga mo, tapos… ganyan kaganda ang asawa mo. Naging presidente ka na, ang asawa mo, heaven ka na (He has a very beautiful wife. I envy him. If you were a billionaire, you have that mouth and then you have such a beautiful wife, you become president and you have that wife, you'll feel like you're in heaven)," Duterte said at Camp Crame on Sunday.

"Yun ang lamang niya sa akin (That's his advantage over me)," he added.

The president was referring US First Lady Melania Trump, a former Slovene-American model and the third wife of Trump.

Duterte, nevertheless, believes that he has a lot of similarities with Trump, who assumed as US president last Friday. 

"Look at his inaugural speech. He will stop drugs. G*** din! We're not different. He will really kill you," the president said.

"Yang si Trump, huwag kang magkumpyansa parang bugoy. Pero hindi yan magiging billionaire kung talagang bugoy ang utak niyan (Do not be complacent that he is stupid. He won't be a billionaire if he were that stupid)," he added.

Duterte has been compared to Trump as the two seem fond of hyperbole and are known for their inflammatory and provocative statements, among other characteristics.

Parallel foreign policies?

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, who attended Trump's inauguration, said Trump's protectionist stance is similar to Duterte's independent foreign policy.

"He mentioned that they will not impose their lifestyle on other nations, but then what they will do is prove to the world that they have a good way of running their government for the rest of the world to follow…They will let them be, that's important. The President of the United States believes on protectionism, America first," Andanar told television station PTV 4 last Saturday.

"The policies of President Donald Trump and President Duterte are similar in that respect. We have an independent foreign policy, and that the President of the Philippines also subscribes to the fact that it is important that we serve the interests of the Filipinos first," he added.

Andanar said it was "very comforting" to listen to Trump's 16-minute inaugural address, which highlighted the need to empower the "forgotten men and women" of the US

"And maybe if you go by it, it looks like our president and President Donald Trump would really get along together. President Duterte mentioned this when they talked for the first time last December," he said.

Aside from Andanar, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. was also present at Trump's inauguration in Washington D.C.

The relationship between the Philippines and the US has been challenged since Duterte became president on June 30 last year. The US under President Barack Obama raised concerns over the spate of killings linked to Duterte's war on drugs, a move that the Philippine leader viewed as interference with the country's internal affairs.

More than 6,000 people believed to have ties with the narcotics trade have been killed since Duterte assumed office.