On Reflection | The US once feared allies would drag it into a war with China. How ironic
- President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to end the Philippines’ military agreement with the United States
- Move highlights the challenges of managing America’s alliances in the age of its great power rivalry with China
Duterte’s threat came after the US cancelled a visa for Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a move believed to be linked to the senator’s past involvement in Duterte’s violent war on drugs as chief of the Philippine National Police.
While remaining domestically popular, Duterte’s signature crackdown on drugs has been widely criticised by human rights groups for its excesses. Last month, the American senators Dick Durbin and Patrick Leahy inserted a provision in the US appropriations bill denying entry to Philippine officials involved in the incarceration of Senator Leila De Lima, a critic of the controversial drug war.
In response, Manila barred Durbin and Leahy from visiting the Philippines. Manila also threatened to introduce visa requirements for all Americans visiting the country if the sanctions on Philippine officials were enforced.
Duterte was incensed by what he sees as unwanted interference in his country’s sovereign judicial process.
