Between rude comments, violent drug crackdowns, and a slew of anti-US rhetoric, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been keeping the United States on its toes since his election in May.
On Monday, Mr. Duterte called for US special forces to leave the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, where the US military has maintained a presence since 2002. The demand is the latest move by the president to raise questions about the stability of the Philippine-US relationship uncertain.
Duterte, while highly popular in his own country, has been a controversial figure abroad.
It seems odd that the Philippines--in the shadow of Chinese power--would behave this way toward America, who is Manila's most important ally.
Yet note that rather than alienating America, Duterte has been keeping us "on our toes."
And the government in Manila took pains to counter the rhetoric:
The Philippines moved to shore up relations with the United States on Tuesday with guarantees that a treaty between them would be honored and security ties were "rock solid", despite President Rodrigo Duterte's railings against Washington.
So there you go.
Say? Would it really be so bad to see what it is like for other countries to worry about our rhetoric while getting our State Department to reassure allies that we have their back?
