{"id":59577,"date":"2020-02-26T20:34:15","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T20:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/26\/duterte-says-philippines-can-survive-without-american-military-help\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:29:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:29:31","slug":"duterte-says-philippines-can-survive-without-american-military-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/2020\/02\/26\/duterte-says-philippines-can-survive-without-american-military-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Duterte says Philippines can survive without American military help"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MANILA, Philippines \u2014 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said Filipino forces can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/04\/us-to-launch-new-program-to-fight-extremism-in-philippines\/\" target=_blank>fight insurgents and Muslim extremists<\/a> without American military help, in a defense of his recent decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/02\/11\/philippines-notifies-us-of-intent-to-end-major-security-pact\/\" target=_blank>terminate a U.S. security pact<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duterte also said in a speech that he would stick to a decision made early in his presidency, when he was enraged by then President Barack Obama\u2019s criticism of his deadly anti-drug crackdown, that he will not travel to the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The brash Philippine leader has often criticized U.S. security policies while praising China and Russia since taking office in mid-2016 for a six-year term. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2020\/02\/13\/us-indo-pacific-command-leader-hopes-philippine-security-pact-can-still-be-saved\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"209\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20044203379301.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US Indo-Pacific Command leader hopes Philippine security pact can still be saved<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The move by the Philippines to end a security pact that allowed U.S. forces to train in the country potentially \u201cchallenged\u201d future American operations with Filipino forces, a U.S. admiral said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. President Donald Trump invited Duterte to join a meeting he will host for leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Las Vegas next month. Duterte has better relations with Trump than with Obama, but his remarks Wednesday support an earlier statement by his spokesman that he would not attend the Las Vegas meeting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDo we need America to survive as a nation?\u201d Duterte asked. \u201cDo we need &#8230; the might and power of the military of the United States to fight our rebellion here and the terrorists down south and control drugs?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe military and police said, `Sir, we can do it,&#8217;\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf we can\u2019t do it, we have no business being a republic,\u201d Duterte said. \u201cYou might as well choose. We can be a territory of the Americans or we can be a province of China.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3286\" height=\"2314\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20057529315379.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte\" class=\"wp-image-97665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20057529315379.jpg.jpg 3286w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20057529315379.jpg.jpg?resize=300,211 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20057529315379.jpg.jpg?resize=768,541 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20057529315379.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,721 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20057529315379.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1082 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20057529315379.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1442 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3286px) 100vw, 3286px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this Feb. 25, 2020, handout photo provided by the Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, center, salutes during the Presidential Security Group Change of Command ceremony at the PSG Compound in Malaca\u00f1ang Park, Manila, Philippines. (Rey Baniquet\/Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Philippine government notified the U.S. two weeks ago that it intends to end the Visiting Forces Agreement, which allows American forces to train in large numbers in the Philippines, in the most serious threat under Duterte to the two nations\u2019 69-year treaty alliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The termination takes effect after 180 days unless both sides agree to keep the VFA. The waiting period allows the allies to renegotiate contentious terms of the 1998 agreement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The accord allows the entry and temporary stay of American forces along with U.S. military ships and aircraft for joint training with Filipino troops. The maneuvers include annual drills that Philippine security officials have credited with helping beat back communist insurgents nationwide and Islamic State group-aligned Muslim militants in the southern Philippines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VFA specifies which country has jurisdiction over American soldiers who are accused of crimes while in the Philippines, a sensitive issue in the former American colony. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has called the decision by the Duterte administration \u201cunfortunate.\u201d Trump, however, reacted dismissively, saying, \u201cIf they would like to do that, that\u2019s fine. We\u2019ll save a lot of money.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who signed the notice of termination at Duterte\u2019s direction, has proposed a review of the agreement to fix contentious issues instead of abrogating it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duterte threatened to terminate the agreement after Washington reportedly canceled the U.S. visa of a loyal ally, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who was linked to human rights violations when he enforced the president\u2019s deadly anti-drug crackdown as national police chief in 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duterte gave the U.S. a month to restore dela Rosa\u2019s visa, but U.S. officials have not publicly reacted to his demand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thousands of mostly poor suspects have been killed under Duterte\u2019s campaign against illegal drugs, alarming the U.S. and other Western governments and human rights groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duterte rejected on Wednesday what he said was the portrayal by some U.S. officials of his administration as persecuting a detained opposition senator and being incapable of investigating extrajudicial killings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe were being portrayed as a republic incapable of administering simple justice,\u201d Duterte said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said Filipino forces can fight insurgents and Muslim extremists without American military help, in a defense of his recent decision to terminate a U.S. security 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