Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Russia on Monday to sign defence and trade deals — turning his back on Western “double talk.”
Speaking before the four day trip, Mr Duterte said: "Overdependence on traditional partners has limited our room to manoeuvre in a very dynamic, international arena.
"Russia is a country that we must work with — there are opportunities that cannot be ignored."
But in an interview with Russia Today TV on Sunday, Mr Duterte went further, telling the US: “You treat me as if I’m your colony still. I want my country to be treated with dignity.”
“I want to deal with China and Russia. Because in Western world, it’s double talk.”
“in the guise of the human rights, countries like EU and America are interfering into the affairs of other nations,” for example with claims of thousands of extrajudicial killings in his crackdown on drugs.
“My orders were very clear: Go out and hunt for the drug lords. If they confront you with violence that placed the lives of policemen or security forces in danger, kill them,” he said.
Mr Duterte also said he would follow the US into war with China, which would be a “massacre” for his country.
Earlier on Monday Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano played down Mr Duterte’s comments in a Friday nigh speech that Chinese President Xi Jinping had threatened war over a territorial dispute.
Mr Duterte said when he asserted Filipino oil drilling rights in the South China Sea, Mr Xi responded: “We would want to maintain the present warm relationship. But if you force the issue, we will go to war."
Mr Caetano insisted their conversation "was on how to avoid conflict" and "how to increase trust and mutual respect."
Speaking before the four day trip, Mr Duterte said: "Overdependence on traditional partners has limited our room to manoeuvre in a very dynamic, international arena.
"Russia is a country that we must work with — there are opportunities that cannot be ignored."
But in an interview with Russia Today TV on Sunday, Mr Duterte went further, telling the US: “You treat me as if I’m your colony still. I want my country to be treated with dignity.”
“I want to deal with China and Russia. Because in Western world, it’s double talk.”
“in the guise of the human rights, countries like EU and America are interfering into the affairs of other nations,” for example with claims of thousands of extrajudicial killings in his crackdown on drugs.
“My orders were very clear: Go out and hunt for the drug lords. If they confront you with violence that placed the lives of policemen or security forces in danger, kill them,” he said.
Mr Duterte also said he would follow the US into war with China, which would be a “massacre” for his country.
Earlier on Monday Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano played down Mr Duterte’s comments in a Friday nigh speech that Chinese President Xi Jinping had threatened war over a territorial dispute.
Mr Duterte said when he asserted Filipino oil drilling rights in the South China Sea, Mr Xi responded: “We would want to maintain the present warm relationship. But if you force the issue, we will go to war."
Mr Caetano insisted their conversation "was on how to avoid conflict" and "how to increase trust and mutual respect."