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President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday night said he is not cutting the Philippines ' alliance with the United States , but the Philippines should not follow policies of the US .

In a press conference on Friday in Davao upon his arrival from his state visits

to China and Brunei , Duterte said: "In the past, and until I became president, we always follow what the United States would give the cue.We would follow their directions. I refuse to do that."

He stressed that what he meant was a "separation of a foreign policy."

In that Beiing business forum, Duterte declared:" I announce my separation from the United States both in the military but economics also. So please you have another problem of economics in my country."

In Davao , Duterte his words have to be taken “in the context of what I've been saying all along. It is not a severance of ties."

"In the severance of ties, you cut the diplomatic relations. I cannot do that. It's in the best interest of my country that we maintain that relationship," Duterte said.

Duterte stressed cutting ties with Washington would be detrimental to Filipinos who are living in the US . “They would kill me," he said.

US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel is scheduled to arrive in Manila Saturday on what the White House said was a “previously scheduled trip”. Russel will have “a discussion about the scope of the relationship between the United States and the Philippines ”, the White House said..

In a daily press briefing Friday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said: “'m confident that these recent comments from President Duterte will be on the agenda as we seek some clarity from the Filipino government.”

Duterte has been critical of the US since he became president three months ago, especially from criticisms of his government's war on drugs.

"There are plenty of idiots there criticizing me about human rights They rode on the issue of extrajudicial killing which is not an issue at all," he said.

Duterte admitted his statement might have an effect on existing agreements with the US like the Visiting Forces Agreement and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

“But I have to consult the military and the police and everybody, because at the end of the day, it is all security,” he said.

In his Davao presscon, Duterte again went into a tirade against the US . He began by saying how America disrespected him when US Embassy officials took American bombing suspect Michael Terrence Meiring when he was still city mayor in 2002.

He recalled Meiring was charged with possession of explosives for the explosion at a hotel in Davao City but was taken out of the country by US officials.

"Some American who ponders their badges saying they are with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). They got Meiring out and brought him to Makati Medical Center for better medical treatment facilities."

What angered him was after he learned Meiring was flown to Singapore and then to the US . "This day it's like Batman and Robin mystery, no explanation," said Duterte.

This, according to Duterte, is form of disrespect to the country's sovereignty.

He also scored the US for invading Iraq a decade ago on the argument of Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction.

"They entered Iraq, they killed Saddam, destroyed the country, killed so many people only to find out that there was no weapon of mass destruction," he said.

"Tell me if it is right because I will resign. Any man here in this room would stand up before me and say, it was moral, it was right to kill the leader of a nation, wipe out his people and have the gall to criticize me about human rights violation." Emmanuel Tupas/DMS