PRRD turns down US invite to visit

The Philippines still considers the United States an ally but would not "follow America to a T," President Duterte said Wednesday.

The President issued the statement after turning down an official invitation to visit the United States for a meeting with its government leaders.

"We were allied always. We have always been. But you know, it's not kind of that I will follow America to a T. All of it, so I distance myself from policies,” the President said during the Philippine Quality Award and Conferment ceremony in Malacañang Wednesday.

Duterterevealed he received a letter from three Cabinet members of US President Donald Trump to visit America but declined it, referring to the letter signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Secretary of Defense James Mattis seeking dialogue on the government's plan to purchase defense equipment.

"Ngayon three, Mattis, Pompeo and the other one wrote me a letter. In one letter they signed asking me to visit ganun... America. S***" Duterte said.

"Sabiko 'No, there will never be a time that I will go to America. Taposnaang America... I’ve seen it," he said.

Duterte also expressed concern about a US plan to include an anti-China clause in a planned free trade agreement with the Philippines.

His concern is that such restriction might limit the country's robust trade relations with China, which he claimed have been revitalized under his watch despite a lingering territorial dispute.

"Do you know the implications of the agreement with the United States ngayon (now)? There's a free trade. You can trade freely, that's what it means to say, with America," he said.

"But you have to sign a sort of a modus vivendi na ‘pag mag-trade kasa kanya okay lang and you can agree on mga taripa... tariffs. But you cannot do business with China," he said.

The United States recently signed a trade pact with Canada and Mexico that allows the countries to pull out if any party enters a trade deal with a non-market country reportedly like China.

Ross reportedly said such “poison pill” provision in the recently completed North American trade deal could be replicated with other trading deals.

The Philippine government earlier expressed interest to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United States to expand market access for its agricultural products.