DUTERTE SAYS CIA WANTS HIM DEAD

DAVAO CITY— President Duterte again pointed an accusing finger at the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), saying the US government’s prime spy office had been plotting to have him killed.

“I’m looking straight at the camera because I want to emphasize to Americans,” Mr. Duterte said at the convention of Hugpong Ng Pagbabago (Movement for Change) led by his daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte.

“There’s CIA now,” he said. “The news is they want me dead,” he added.

“Go ahead, be my guest,” Mr. Duterte said, addressing himself to the US government. “After all, this country will remain the way it is,” he said.

Russia vs US

“That’s why if my helicopter explodes, it’s them,” he said, referring to the helicopter he rode to get to the convention and his imagined scenario of the way he would have been assassinated by the CIA.

The President also ranted at US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver, who is in Manila for a two-day visit and who warned the Philippines against procuring military equipment, like submarines, from Russia.

“Who are you to warn us?” Mr. Duterte said.

“You meet me in a forum and I will invite everybody interested,” he said.

“You state your case why you are against my country acquir- ing submarines,” the President added, addressing himself to Schriver.

“You want us to remain backwards,” Mr. Duterte said.

Left behind

He said only the Philippine military doesn’t have a submarine. According to the President, Vietnam has seven; Malaysia, two and Indonesia, eight.

“You sold us used refurbished helicopters,” Mr. Duterte said.