Duterte turns down US visit
MOSCOW, Russia – Confirming that he is too busy for a United States (US) visit, President Duterte, who is on a four-day official visit here, has aired apprehensions that he might become a target of CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)-sponsored assassination.
Interviewed on Russian Television before launching his Russian visit aimed at stimulating the old but sluggish relation with America’s worldwide leadership rival, Duterte admitted being hurt by America’s interference during the presidential campaign where he was “severely criticized.”
When asked if he was serious about his fear of being a victim of political murder, Duterte told the Russian interviewer: “They do it. Does it surprise you? They can even take the President out of his country for him to face trial in another country.”
The Filipino chief executive said that while he considers American President Donald Trump as a “friend,” he has to turn down the invitation because of his busy schedule.
“Yes, I said I’m sorry. I cannot go because I’m busy. That’s actually the truth, as I said before,” he said.
Duterte added: “You might as well have noticed that during the election, I was severely criticized by America, and it was during the election time.”
The Filipino leader reckoned that the assassination plot may be tied to his bid to keep US military off the Philippines.
“I said it about the American troops. That one day during my term, if I survive the CIA, I still have five years to go…” he stated but failing to give further details.
“Remember Panama? Okay, they invaded Panama, a sovereign state in Central America,” recalled Duterte.
Duterte apparently referred to the Panamanian political turmoil that was instigated by the United State’s bid to control Panama Canal.
It was recalled that speculations have pointed to the CIA as being behind air crash death of popular president, Omar Efrain Torrijos, in 1981 at the height of the Panama Canal tug-of-war between Panamanian nationalist and the US.
Torrijos’ death paved the way to the rise in power of General Manuel Noriega who ruled as a dictator and was believed to have links to the CIA.
During the 1989 US invasion of Panama, Noriega was removed and captured as a prisoner of war. As POW, he was flown to Miami, Florida, to be indicted and later sentenced to 40 years for drug trafficking.
Unlike Noriega, Duterte has launched an all-out war against drugs in the Philippines but in the process has earned vast criticisms from the US and member-states of the European Union (EU) for the estimated 6,000 extrajudicial killings linked to his anti-drugs campaign.
He then accused the US and the European Union of engaging in “double talk” while offering help to the Philippines.
“Because the Western world, the EU, and everything – it’s all this double talk. So, the EU granted us 200 million, and this grant carried with it a condition that this money would be used to improve the human rights, and so on and so forth. I said, “No. I don’t need it,” Duterte stated.