Duterte hints at move to cancel EDCA, saying it's 'not signed by the President'

From InterAksyon (Oct 2): Duterte hints at move to cancel EDCA, saying it's 'not signed by the President'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday issued a qualified apology to Jews for his remarks about Hitler, but continued to lash out at Western critics and warned he was willing to kick all American troops out of the Philippines.

"The Americans, I don't like them.... they are reprimanding me in public. So I say: 'Screw you, fuck you, everything else. You are stupid'," he said.

Duterte threatened to cancel a defense accord with the United States, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), that went into force in January.

That agreement, sealed under the administration of Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, allows US forces access to five Philippine bases to help counterbalance a growing Chinese presence in the South China Sea.

"This EDCA is an official document... but it does not bear the signature of the president of the republic," Duterte said.

"Better think twice now because I will be asking you to leave the Philippines altogether."

The United States and the Philippines are longtime allies bound by the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty.

Duterte has in recent days repeatedly threatened to move away from the United States and forge closer ties with China and Russia.

Last week he revealed he had talked to Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev, to whom he said he was about to "cross the Rubicon" in relations with the US, and that he would be looking to Russia for support.

He said earlier he wanted the US Special Forces out of Mindanao; then more recently said the joint exercises called Phiblex between Philippine and US troops, which starts Oct. 4, will be the last.

Duterte on Sunday also hit out at the Europeans, saying: "These stupid lawyers in the EU... well, screw you. I will kick you."

He had chafed on several occasions at what he described as the instinctive recourse of critics from the EU, US, UN and human rights groups to blame him, his war on drugs and the Philippine police force for all killings that are "under investigation" and cannot be ascribed outright to any group, as he continues his tough war on drugs. All these deaths - accounting for more than half of the 3,000-plus deaths since the campaign against drugs was launched July 1 - are being automatically tagged as "extrajudicial killings." The rest are being owned by the PNP as part of legitimate operations.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/132955/duterte-hints-at-move-to-cancel-edca-saying-its-not-signed-by-the-president