Duterte meets US envoy in Malacañang

President Rodrigo Duterte and United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim on Tuesday met in Malacañang weeks after the chief executive lambasted the country’s lone treaty ally for allegedly interfering in Manila’s defense capability program.

Excellent meeting with President Duterte to discuss shared goals including defense priorities and economic partnership. Our alliance remains strong and ironclad. #FriendsPartnersAllies pic.twitter.com/QXgU91LtMt

— Ambassador Sung Kim (@USAmbManila) September 12, 2018

Kim said he and Duterte had an “excellent” meeting on “shared goals including defense priorities and economic partnership.”

“Our alliance remains strong and ironclad,” the envoy said on Twitter.

It was Duterte himself who announced during the awarding of incentives to 18th Asian Games winners in the presidential palace that he was going to meet Kim. The meeting was not on the official schedule sent by Malacañang to reporters.

Duterte recently slammed US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver for warning the Philippines against buying submarines from US rival, Russia.

Schriver had pointed to both the tactical and political problems the Philippines would face if it pushed through with the purchase.

"Is that the way how you treat an ally? And you want us to stay with you for all times?" Duterte said in a speech in Davao City on August 18. "Who are you to warn us?"

Five days later, Duterte revealed that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary James Mattis, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had written him to offer US defense equipment including F-16 fighter jets.

Duterte, however, was cool to the proposal and said what he needed were attack helicopters and light aircraft for counter-insurgency operations.

Duterte had repeatedly expressed his misgivings against the US, especially during the Obama administration which had criticized the alleged human rights abuses in his war on drugs. — BAP, GMA News