Duterte said he told Trump US was treating Philippines like a detachment

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he told then US President Donald Trump that the US was treating the Philippines as "an inferior" and an "advance detachment" when he turned down the latter's invitation for him to visit.

Duterte made the remarks after saying that he wanted to carefully study the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries.

"President Trump invited me several times but I said for as long as you treat us as an inferior... Ginagawa mo lang kaming detachment ninyo. You're making the Philippines as an early warning detachment," Duterte said in a televised briefing.

[You've been using us as a detachment.]

"This cannot happen during my time," he added.

Duterte in February 2020 ordered the abrogation of the VFA—the treaty which covers the presence of US forces conducting joint military operations in the Philippines.

He, however, ordered the suspension for six months of the termination in June 2020 and extended it in November 2020.

In December and amid the drive of many countries to secure vaccines versus COVID-19, Duterte said he would terminate the VFA if the US failed to help the Philippines with its vaccine supply.

"I would like to just study very carefully with the coming of the renegotiation of the Visiting Forces Agreement. Something has got to give. At least in my time," Duterte said on Monday night.

"I have not been to America for the longest time. The last visit was about ten years ago," he added.

Duterte has for a few times said that he had refused Trump's invitation for him to go to the US for a visit.

The last time was in January 2020 when he said he would not attend the US-ASEAN summit that was slated in March 2020.

The President then brought up his sentiments against Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, whose administration had raised concerns about the Philippines’ deadly campaign against illegal drugs. —NB, GMA News