Is Rodrigo Duterte destroying the Philippines' relations with the United States?

Ever since Rodrigo Duterte assumed the role of President of the Philippines, and perhaps even before that, he has made antagonizing steps against the United States of America.

Despite the existing Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries, the president is currently seeking relations with China, Russia, and other countries that may be considered somewhat a threat towards America. His actions also suggest that USA is partially responsible for the state of the Philippines. One issue that comes to mind regarding this would be the Spratlys Island reclamation. Instead of reminding China of the ruling wherein the Philippines would have exclusive economic rights to the area, he has expressed his thoughts in that the United States are to be blamed for not taking proactive measures to secure the island.

Another instance wherein Duterte expressed his thoughts about America would be during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech, resurfacing the issue on the Balangiga Bells- a historical heritage that is currently in possession of the United States ever since the 1901 conflict between the Filipino guerillas and American troops. Both countries have given the bells significant meaning and asking for it to be returned is not just a case for the country’s historical pursuit, but also a political statement. The bell was also asked to be given back by former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, but was denied by Bill Clinton.

Speaking of which, Duterte has also made a personal attack against his family after Chelsea Clinton, Bill’s daughter, made remarks regarding Duterte’s claims to allow soldiers under Martial Law to rape three women. To respond, Duterte brought up the scandal between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Although this does not directly attack the United States as a country, his offensive barks towards a former president does not improve his relations with the country.

That said, it should be noted that the President of the Philippines has been hostile towards USA especially during the Obama’s Administration. When the presidency shifted to Donald Trump, it seems as though the relationship between the two leaders had warmed. This is mainly due to both of them acknowledging each other’s competencies to lead their respective countries.

These instances are only among some of Duterte’s negative interactions with the United States. Given the situation at hand, does the comfortable and friendly treaty between the Philippines and the United States being threatened under the new presidency? More importantly, is it wise for the president to aggravate its relationship with the Americans in hopes of aligning himself with other countries that may prove to be more advantageous for the Philippines?

Maybe President Duterte is like President Trump: He wants what he feels is best for his country.

Only time will tell whether President Duterte is right to develop ties with countries such as China.

*****

I wish the Filipino people the best of luck.

I think that it is sooooooooooo sad that after centuries of Spanish rule and 50 years of American rule, the Philippines has not been able to become a prosperous nation with honest governance.

MJ Adlong said:

Ever since Rodrigo Duterte assumed the role of President of the Philippines, and perhaps even before that, he has made antagonizing steps against the United States of America.

Despite the existing Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries, the president is currently seeking relations with China, Russia, and other countries that may be considered somewhat a threat towards America. His actions also suggest that USA is partially responsible for the state of the Philippines. One issue that comes to mind regarding this would be the Spratlys Island reclamation. Instead of reminding China of the ruling wherein the Philippines would have exclusive economic rights to the area, he has expressed his thoughts in that the United States are to be blamed for not taking proactive measures to secure the island.

Another instance wherein Duterte expressed his thoughts about America would be during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech, resurfacing the issue on the Balangiga Bells- a historical heritage that is currently in possession of the United States ever since the 1901 conflict between the Filipino guerillas and American troops. Both countries have given the bells significant meaning and asking for it to be returned is not just a case for the country’s historical pursuit, but also a political statement. The bell was also asked to be given back by former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, but was denied by Bill Clinton.

Speaking of which, Duterte has also made a personal attack against his family after Chelsea Clinton, Bill’s daughter, made remarks regarding Duterte’s claims to allow soldiers under Martial Law to rape three women. To respond, Duterte brought up the scandal between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Although this does not directly attack the United States as a country, his offensive barks towards a former president does not improve his relations with the country.

That said, it should be noted that the President of the Philippines has been hostile towards USA especially during the Obama’s Administration. When the presidency shifted to Donald Trump, it seems as though the relationship between the two leaders had warmed. This is mainly due to both of them acknowledging each other’s competencies to lead their respective countries.

These instances are only among some of Duterte’s negative interactions with the United States. Given the situation at hand, does the comfortable and friendly treaty between the Philippines and the United States being threatened under the new presidency? More importantly, is it wise for the president to aggravate its relationship with the Americans in hopes of aligning himself with other countries that may prove to be more advantageous for the Philippines?

Click to expand...

Trump makes no secret of his admiration for brutal dictators, so it's not a surprise that relations may have improved since Trump came to office.

I think Duterte simple asserts that the Philippines is not a toadie of the USA anymore. The USA occupies Nations and allows its' Corporations to acquire any profitable resources incumbent to those Nations. The USA always installs a gov't that it can control with money or favors, but Duterte slipped through the cracks. The USA MSM never paints an honest portrait of the Colonial relationships of the USA. We're always portrayed as a good guy, doing good things and all the military is written off as foreign aid. Aid to whom, I might add? Strategic military bases. Forward operating bases, etc. Long range radar. Snooping devices. Network connections. Submarine bases. Missile sites. And the list goes on.
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TheParser said:

Maybe President Duterte is like President Trump: He wants what he feels is best for his country.

Only time will tell whether President Duterte is right to develop ties with countries such as China.

*****

I wish the Filipino people the best of luck.

I think that it is sooooooooooo sad that after centuries of Spanish rule and 50 years of American rule, the Philippines has not been able to become a prosperous nation with honest governance.

Click to expand...

As they say, It's complicated. I can't do justice here to how screwed up the Phillipines has become since the Marcos' were booted.

It goes way back. Ferdinand Marcos made a deal with China to support China communism in exchange for China dropping support for the communists in the Philippines that the Marcos crew were fighting. Now that insurgency has quieted, and they have moved their efforts to the drug trade, kidnapping, smuggling, etc. The former communists and other extremists are now facilitating using the Philippines as a staging area for drugs to enter the USA. There is a lot of inconspicuous boat traffic between the Philippines and Hawaii, and from there in to the mainland USA. So the loss of sovereignty has changed from revolutionaries to drug runners inside the "nine dash line" supposedly administered by China.

Now we have China looking to expand it's control of over the South China Sea shipping lanes, and promising the Phillipines a piece of the action by the use of "investments" in the Philippines. Duarte gave up his claims in China's "dash nine" line for a promise, that China reneged on. Now Duarte has a problem. He made a deal with China against US advice, and got burned, and got lassoed into the "China domain of dash nine".

So how does a ruler calm the flames on his ass back home? He blames the USA and Trump.

Duarte let China swindle him out of fishing rights and mineral rights west of his country, and has lost control over the southern islands too, and he was hornswaggled into dropping his objection of being swallow up in China's nine dash line.

It is a totally FUBAR situation.

Rodrigo is a Spanish and Portuguese name derived from the Germanic name Roderick (Gothic *Hroþareiks, via Latinized Rodericus), given specifically in reference to either king Roderic (d. 712), the last Visigothic ruler or to Saint Roderick (d. 857), one of the Martyrs of Córdoba (feast day 13 March). The modern given name has the short forms forms Ruy, Rui, and in Galician Roi.



Rodrigues is an island in the Indian Ocean, administratively part of Mauritius.
Rodrigues (French: Île Rodrigues) is a 108-square-kilometre (42 sq mi) autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about 560 kilometres (350 mi) east of Mauritius.[1] It is part of the Mascarene Islands which include Mauritius and Réunion.

Rodríguez ([roˈðɾiɣeθ] in Peninsular Spain or [ro'ðɾiɣes] in Latin America) is a Hispanic surname meaning "son of Rodrigo". It has ties to the kingdom of Castile in Spain where Nobles held the name. It is often rendered without the accent mark, primarily outside Spanish-speaking countries. Farther back in history you will find Rodriguez has ties to the Visigoth Kingdom of the Germanic Era (Last Visigoth King).


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo



Its inhabitants are Mauritian citizens. As of 2014, the island's population was about 41,669, according to Statistics Mauritius.[4] Most of the inhabitants are of mixed African and European descent. Its economy is based mainly on fishing, farming, handicraft and a developing tourism sector.[5]

The island (together with Agaléga and Saint Brandon) forms part of the larger territory of the Republic of Mauritius with the President as head of state and the Chief Commissioner as head of government.


Formerly a Dutch colony (1638–1710) and a French colony (1715–1810), Mauritius became a British colonial possession in 1810 and remained so until 1968, the year in which it attained independence. The British Crown colony of Mauritius once included the current territories of Mauritius, Rodrigues, the outer islands of Agaléga, St. Brandon, Chagos Archipelago, and Seychelles. The Mauritian territories gradually devolved with the creation of a separate colony of Seychelles in 1903 and the excision of the Chagos Archipelago in 1965. The sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom. The UK excised the archipelago from Mauritian territory in 1965, three years prior to Mauritian independence. The UK gradually depopulated the archipelago's local population and leased its biggest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States. Access to the Chagos Archipelago is prohibited to casual tourists, the media, and its former inhabitants. Mauritius also claims sovereignty over Tromelin Island from France.

The people of Mauritius are multiethnic, multi-religious, multicultural and multilingual. The island's government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, and Mauritius is highly ranked for democracy and for economic and political freedom. The Human Development Index of Mauritius is the highest in Africa. Along with the other Mascarene Islands, Mauritius is known for its varied flora and fauna, with many species endemic to the island.

Mauritius is the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the largest religion. The administration uses English as its main language.



The island of Mauritius is relatively young geologically, having been created by volcanic activity some 8 million years ago. Together with Saint Brandon, Réunion, and Rodrigues, the island is part of the Mascarene Islands. These islands have emerged as a result of gigantic underwater volcanic eruptions that happened thousands of kilometres to the east of the continental block made up of Africa and Madagascar.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Mauritius.png/600px-Mauritius.png


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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritius#/media/File:Mauritius-25rupees-banknote-2003.JPG


https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYHYK6_AioOm1XOYxXhpe6jo7JsFnQelNQhQ9Yl-8Eu_dK-mthew



Mauritius/Population
1.265 million (2017)

Rodrigues is an island in the Indian Ocean, administratively part of Mauritius.
Rodrigues (French: Île Rodrigues) is a 108-square-kilometre (42 sq mi) autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about 560 kilometres (350 mi) east of Mauritius.[1] It is part of the Mascarene Islands which include Mauritius and Réunion.


An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, entity, unit, region, subdivision, or territory) is a subdivision or dependent territory of a country that has a degree of self-governance, or autonomy, from an external authority. Typically, it is either geographically distinct from the rest of the country or populated by a national minority. Decentralization of self-governing powers and functions to such divisions is a way for a national government to try to increase democratic participation or administrative efficiency or to defuse internal conflicts. Countries that include autonomous areas may be federacies, federations, or confederations. Autonomous areas can be divided into territorial autonomies, subregional territorial autonomies, and local autonomies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_administrative_division


Outer Islands of Mauritius (French: Îles éparses de Maurice) is the single first-order administrative division of the country and consists of the islands of Mauritius and several outlying islands.[1] It is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Local Government and Outer Islands. The Constitution of Mauritius provides that the country includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agaléga, Saint Brandon (Cargados Carajos), Tromelin and the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia and any other island comprised in the State of Mauritius.[2] The Government of Mauritius claims sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, which the United Kingdom split from its territories to create the British Indian Ocean Territory before its independence in 1965. Additionally, France shares a sovereignty claim over Tromelin, an uninhabited islet between Madagascar and Mauritius' main island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Islands_of_Mauritius



The Government of Mauritius (French: Gouvernement de Maurice) is the main authority of the executive power in the Republic of Mauritius. The head of the Government is the Prime Minister of Mauritius, who manages the main agenda of the Government and direct the ministers.

Pravind Jugnauth

Pravind Kumar Jugnauth MP Esq. (Creole pronunciation: /pʁavind dʒʌgnət/; born 25 December 1961) is a Mauritian politician who is Prime Minister of Mauritius, in office since 2017, and also holds another portfolio as Minister of Finance. He is currently leader of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), which has the majority seats in the National Assembly since December 2014.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pravind_Jugnauth