New York: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte reignited his war of words with the United States on Tuesday.
Giving a speech at the airport in Manila before his departure for Japan, President Duterte once again echoed comments he made a week ago in Beijing, in which he pronounced the end of his country's relationship with the United States.
He said that the bad blood extends back to his country's elections in May of this year, which he won by a landslide on the back of promises that he would crack down on crime, particularly drug crime, reports the CNN.
"You know I didn't start this fight. They started it," he said, referring to comments about his human rights record, made by US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg.
"They started it and then came out the issue of human rights, the State Department, Obama, EU. They did this to me. Then, they said, we will cut our assistance. So I said to them, 'son of a bitch, do not make us your dogs, as if I am a dog with a leash, and you throw some bread, where I can't reach," said the firebrand leader.
"The ambassador said something not very nice. You are not supposed to do that because in an election of another country, you should be careful with your mouth," he added.
