MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Monday that United States President Donald Trump had tried to save the Visiting Forces Agreement but he insisted on scrapping the two-decades-old pact.
Duterte, who has been seeking closer ties with China while distancing himself from the US, said he is bent on terminating the VFA because of the "disrespectful" acts of Americans. He claimed the US had threatened to withhold aid to the Philippines if opposition Sen. Leila de Lima, who is in jail over drug-related charges, is not released.
"Now, I'll make it public, public official ako (I am a public official). Si Trump, pati yung others (Trump and the others) are trying to save the Visiting Forces Agreement. Sabi ko, ayoko (I said, 'I don't want to)," the president said during a gathering of local executives in Pasay.
"One is that napakabastos ng Amerikano, talagang sobrang bastos. Yung mga CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), nakikinig ngayon, mga Amboy, sabihan niyo gobyerno niyo bastos kayo (Americans are very disrespectful. Really disrespectful. If the CIA is listening... tell your government, you are disrespectful). Imagine demanding the release of De Lima under threat that we will not receive the aid, that all persons who had a hand in the imprisonment of De Lima will no be allowed to go to the US?" he added.
"P***** i**, ano ba meron sa Amerika ganunin mo ko (What is in America that you have to treat me like that)?" he added.
It was not clear whether Duterte had spoken with Trump or he relayed his view on the VFA through emissaries. The Philippine leader also did not mention anything about transmitting the VFA termination notice to the US government.
Duterte then denied endorsing extrajudicial killings, one of the issues tied to his controversial war on illegal drugs. The administration of former US president Barack Obama had criticized the campaign, drawing the ire of Duterte who responded by accusing Americans of interfering with the Philippines' sovereignty.
"What I said was do not destroy my country because if you destroy my country, I will kill you," Duterte said.
"Sobra sila kung uminsulto kasi (They have insulted us too much), bordering on the trashing of our sovereignty, wiping the s*** of the dog if you step on one. Americans went too far. Somebody has to remind them," he added.
Duterte also disputed claims that the VFA has benefited the country.
"We've been fighting the communist for 53 years. Kung nakatulong talaga ang America, p***** i** hanggang ngayon (If America really helped us, son of a b****, how come we are still dealing with it)?" the president said.
The president also said no accounting was done to determine whether Americans have brought nuclear weapons in the Philippines.
"The Philippine Navy was able to detect a US submarine sailing over Palawan. They did not seek permission," he added.
Duterte likewise expressed optimism that China won't harm the Philippines if "we also do not do something that will do harm to them."
"It is a geopolitical issue, territorial. Maski papaliguin ko si Xi Jinping sa Palawan, wala sa akin iyan (Even if I ask Xi Jinping to take a bath in Palawan, that means nothing to me). They do not mean harm if we do not also do something that is harmful to them," he said.
"Sabihin, patulan nila tayo (They said they would harm us)... that will be a lot of bull****."