Philippines not cutting ties with allies, ends joint patrols in South China Sea
The Philippines is not cutting ties with allies, like the United States , President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday. But he ordered the military not to join any joint patrol with other countries in the disputed South China Sea .
Duterte made the statement after he said on Monday that US Special Forces should pull out in Mindanao .
"We are not going to cut our umbilical cord with the countries we are allied now...we are not cutting our alliances, military as well, but certainly we will follow an independent posture and independent foreign policy," Duterte said in a speech at the 48th anniversary of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing in Villamor Air Base.
The US is one of the only three countries that the Philippines has strategic partnership with. The others are Japan and Vietnam .
Among those who became presidents in recent years, only Duterte has issued strong words against the US and its atrocities committed against the Filipinos even a century ago.
In the same speech at Villamor, he criticized the US for the massacre in early 1900s in Samar .
"I said to myself early on this cannot continue. I would have to address its human rights, problems then we have to discuss the entire gamut and dimension. It's there in the Facebook now, the massacre everywhere, Balangiga in Samar ,” he said.
“That was a time that 10 years old and above were massacred by the Americans. They got the bell. Until now they hijacked it, stole it, never returned it to us. It's the sentimental value attached. It's the massacre that happened to Filipinos in Samar take and note about that in the chapters of history," Duterte said.
"We cannot be forever shouted at and lectured upon, not me. As I said in my quest for what is right for my country, I'm putting on table at stake my honor my life and the presidency period," he stressed.
In line with his independent foreign policy, Duterte ordered the military not to take part in joint patrols with other countries, particularly in the South China Sea .
"We will not join any expedition of patrolling the sea. I will not allow it because I don't want my country to be involved in hostile act. When you patrol not only high seas but somebody else's territory, whether it really owned by us, which the judgement says it's our entitlement...that's beside the point," he said.
"The point is, I don't want to ride gung ho style there with China or with America . I just want to patrol our territorial waters," Duterte added.
Duterte also ordered the military to widen their sources of securing equipment and ammunition. “I’d like to ask Defense Secretary Lorenzana to accompany technical people to go to Russia , China ,” he said.
During the Aquino administration, the Philippines had expressed openness to conduct joint patrols with the US in the disputed South China Sea .
Duterte reminded China of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding the Philippine entitlement in areas in the South China Sea .
He said fishes and other mineral resources, such as oil and gas, found within the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone belong to the Philippines . Celerina Monte, Robina Asido
