MANILA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told the United States on Friday not to treat the Philippines "like a doormat" as he pleaded for "a little respect."
"For as long as I am here do not treat us like a doormat because you'll be sorry," Duterte said in a speech before banana growers in his home city of Davao in southern Philippines.
He said he did not want to antagonize the United States but stressed that Washington should "give us a little of respect."
"Assess yourself," he added, "because if you don't you will lose the Philippines."
The president also told his audience that he met with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Laos on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit last month.
"I said 'Send your businessmen here and we would see if we can buy the things that you have.' I'll open up the Philippines," he said.
Duterte reiterated that the ongoing PHIBLEX U.S.-Philippine joint military exercises that wrap up on Oct. 12 will be the last one during his term.
Earlier on Wednesday, Duterte told Obama "you can go to hell" in a speech, his strongest tirade against the U.S. leader so far, even threatening to "break up with America."
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MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that the joint war games between the United States and the Philippine marines in October will be the last.
"So I am serving notice now to the Americans. I will maintain the military alliance, the PH-U.S. pact which our countries signed in the early 50s. But I will establish new alliances for trade and commerce. I will serve notice to you now that this will be the last military exercise," Duterte said in a speech before the Filipino community in Hanoi, Vietnam where he is on an overnight working visit. Full Story
