(Eagle News)– President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed his pronouncement that this October’s Philippine-United States military exercises would be the last under his presidency.
“In my term, yes. I don’t know if that treaty would take some form. But in my term, yes. I would not be using my entitlements as commander-in-chief. I would simply say that that is the foreign policy,” Duterte affirmed in a news conference.
Duterte pointed out there was no cooperation between the Philippines and US in terms of defense.
“And you can ask the military… They asked for joint maneuvers, operations and yet there is no capability between the weapons and armaments they use and even in the communications,” Duterte said.
“Walang capability. It’s all soiled clothes. They do not share,” the Commander-in-chief added.
He lamented the country’s purchase of the FA-50 fighter jets under Aquino administration, saying they were all useless since US would not allow Philippines to buy the jet’s missiles.
“Sabi nila bugok daw ako kasi hindi ko alam na the jets were made in Korea… That was outsourcing. Kanila rin yan,” he said.
“You cannot buy the planes there without the blessings of… May eroplano tayo but [they] don’t allow us to buy the missiles. What will be the point?” he added.
