Duterte on being likened to Trump: He is airing out valid issues

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday acknowledged that US presidential candidate Donald Trump, while infamously outspoken, is airing out valid issues.

Asked for his reaction on being likened to Trump for their tendency to speak their minds, Duterte said that the Republican candidate is addressing valid concerns.

"Valid issues, actually.  Trump is airing something which should also be a concern," Duterte said upon his return to the Philippines after consecutive state visits to Brunei and China.

He cited terrorism and tolerance for religion as some of the issues Trump had tackled in his campaign speeches.

"One is terrorism. Everybody should be worried about terrorism ... and of course, in this modern world, multi cultural countries," Duterte said.

"There should be some semblance of, you know, acceptance and maybe, especially in the matter of religion, tolerance," he added.

The CNN journalist who brought up the topic had also asked Duterte to identify which US presidential candidate he would get along with.

Duterte refused to choose between Trump and Hilary Clinton to avoid stirring up antagonism, and instead declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin was his favorite.

In Beijing, Duterte said that he was separating the Philippines from the US both in economics and in the field of the military.

He indicated a preference for strengthening ties with China and Russia. —Jessica Bartolome/LBG, GMA News