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Rodrigo Duterte: US Troops Out of Philippines in 2 Years

Rodrigo Duterte: US Troops Out of Philippines in 2 Years

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte makes a speech during the Philippines - China Trade and Investment Fourm at the Great Hall of the People on Oct. 20, 2016 in Beijing, China. (Wu Hong-Pool/Getty Images)

By    |   Wednesday, 26 October 2016 03:43 PM EDT

Rodrigo Duterte wants U.S. troops out of the Philippines in two years, the Philippines president said while addressing the Philippines Economic Forum in Tokyo on Wednesday.

“I want, maybe in the next two years, my country free of the presence of foreign military troops,” Duterte told the forum, according to BBC News.

“I want them out and if I have to revise or abrogate agreements, executive agreements, I will,” he added, The Guardian noted.

The U.S. currently has troops at five different military bases in the Philippines, but Duterte has been talking about parting ways with the U.S., a longtime ally and former colonial ruler, BBC noted.

Last week, during a visit to Beijing, Duterte, who has expressed a desire to be "closer to China," declared a “separation” from the U.S., before later going back on his words, saying that he didn’t mean a complete separation, BBC reported.

However, on Wednesday, he reiterated his desire to end all joint “war games” with the U.S., The Guardian noted.

“This will be the last maneuver war games between the United States and the Philippines’ military,” Duterte said.

His desire to severe ties with the U.S. is mainly because he desires for his country to have an “independent foreign policy,” as he believes that the U.S. has exploited the Philippines and interfered with their foreign policy since being an ally, BBC noted.

Despite Duterte’s strong remarks, Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay Jr. has offered an opposite set of comments regarding the matter, according to Today.

“There is no reason at this time to terminate our agreements because our national interests still continue to converge,” he said.

U.S. State Department spokesman Josh Kirby said on Tuesday that the U.S. is “not going to react and respond to every bit of rhetoric” Duterte puts out there, BBC reported.

“We’re going to continue to work at this relationship. We’re going to continue to meet our obligations under the defense treaty,” he said.

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TheWire
Rodrigo Duterte wants U.S. troops out of the Philippines in two years, the Philippines president said while addressing the Philippines Economic Forum in Tokyo on Wednesday.
rodrigo duterte, us troops, philippines
329
2016-43-26
Wednesday, 26 October 2016 03:43 PM
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