Duterte said the Philippines is not ready for military alliance with Russia.
President Rodrigo Duterte told Russian television he is " not ready for military alliances because we have a treaty that was signed in the '50s.”
Duterte was referring to the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States signed in 1951.
But Duterte said his administration is ready to cooperate with "my new friends - China and Russia - to make this world more peaceful."
Duterte recently embarked in a state visit in China on the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. He also had a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in November in Lima, Peru.
Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev told a forum early this week Russia is open to forge a "long term" military cooperation with the Philippines.
Asked on the support the Filipinos have been giving to the Philippine-US alliance, Duterte explained this was because the country had been America's colony for 50 years.
"It should not surprise you. It’s ingrained in the genealogy of the Filipinos. But, little by little I’ve been telling them, I made this decision because… I think the Filipinos know the reason why in their hearts. Because I have been very vocal and used the strongest terms, when I said 'We are not a nation of beggars. We will survive without your assistance. Please, stop it',” he said.
Duterte has declared the Philippines' "separation" from the US in terms of military. He became irked after the US State Department and other US officials raised concern on the increasing number of drug suspects being killed amid the administration's war against illegal drugs.
The president was also asked if he could be friends with US President-elect Donald Trump and if the Philippines' relationship with the US would change.
Duterte said, "Well, I’m not at liberty to make it public, but there are feelings now, even retired generals … they wrote me a long letter, and the last sentence is that, 'there is no doubt in our minds that we can be great friends again and reset the whole thing'." He did not elaborate on the matter. Celerina Monte/DMS
