In Photo: US Pres. Donald Trump meets Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte and Lady Honeylet during ASEAN summit gala in Manila.
Says Trump is pro-business and expects EDCA bases out
DAVAO CITY – Former President Rodrigo Duterte congratulated United States of America President-elect Donald Trump on his triumph in the just concluded 2024 US elections, saying the victory will lead to the normalization of the relationship of the US and China.
Duterte said it would be good as any other time for the Philippines to ponder. It is not the best of our interest as it was then, as it is now, to have foreign military bases in the Philippine territory. He pointed out that with the intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads in the possession of the protagonists everything will be obliterated in case of war, Duterte said in a late-night interview Thursday.
He said that if a war ensued and America deployed its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), it would result in a barren earth.
Duterte also hoped Trump’s administration would bring renewed optimism and strength to the American people during challenging times. He said, unlike incumbent US Pres. Joe Biden whom he described as an ideologue, President-elect Donald Trump is a businessman.
He compared Trump to a Chinese businessman who just wanted to do business no matter how small or big and fairly compete with each other for the profit.
“I hope for the success of the Trump administration and their “shared aspirations” not only for America but for their countries,” he added.
The former president moreover also aired his sentiments hinting to Trump to pull out the US bases in the country.
“Why would I host a foreign country’s military base, especially America? They came here in the 1800s and they treated us like their vassal state and subjugated us for so many years,” Duterte said.
“Trump is a businessman, he is not into war. He wants [other countries] to be a friend,” he said.
It can be recalled that among Trumps agenda were to put an end to the war in Ukraine which elicited positive remarks from Russian President Vladimir Putin who sent congratulatory message to the President-elect.
Duterte and Trump are perceived to be good friends the latter having publicly expressed his approval of Duterte’s successful campaign against illegal drugs and crime syndicates.
