Duterte keeps people guessing on foreign policy

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – It’s all about mind reading and proper timing and any miscalculation can be disastrous, President Duterte said in describing his foreign policy direction.

“Superman, I can read your mind, ika nga, it is always timing. You know, calibrated moves in everything because you carry the burden of the people,” the President said upon his arrival at the Davao International Airport Thursday night from a three-day state visit to Japan.

He said he would rather keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to foreign policy.

“You miscalculate everything because you will drag down the Republic of the Philippines,” the President explained.

But he stressed his foreign policy is characterized by “strategic independence” from the United States.

“I do not want anybody reading my mind because hindi na ako makadiskarte (I can’t make the right moves). But it’s all calibrated, it’s all about timing. Just watch out for one thing in life, that’s what I have learned, miscalculation,” the President said. 

The President shrugged off growing criticisms of his foreign policy which has been critical of the US, and openly accommodating to Beijing and Japan, two rival powers in the region.

The President, during his state visit to Beijing, declared he was cutting ties with the US but changed his stance upon arriving in the country, saying he did not mean severing ties with America.

The President said he is glad because officials closest to him like Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Foreign Affairs chief Perfecto Yasay Jr. understand him well.

Japan worried

Meanwhile, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said Japan has expressed worry over the current state of Philippines-US relations but agreed on the need for an independent foreign policy.

The senator, who heads the senate committee on foreign relations, said Japanese businessmen also agree with President Duterte’s independent foreign policy thrust.

“There were concerns expressed but there were informal gatherings like a dinner wherein the President and high Japanese officials were able to talk about this,” Cayetano said in a briefing at Malacañang last Friday.

“And while they might not agree totally, they came out with a very good understanding of why. Even the Japanese businessmen in the business forum were telling our officials ‘it’s correct, you shouldn’t be pushed around’,” he said.

While he declined to give details agreed upon in bilateral meetings, the senator pointed out that Duterte was able to explain his government’s pursuit of an independent foreign policy.

Japan, which also has a stake in the South China Sea, is allied with the US.

“I cannot talk about matters that happened in confidence and when the cameras are out of the bilateral meetings…before we left, of course there were some concerns by the Japanese counterparts because they are aligned with the US policy, especially in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, and East China Sea also,” the senator said.

“The Japanese just simply emphasized that you understand a relationship with US and we are aligned with the US but you are our brothers, we are friends. So, that was the track,” he added.

Cayetano likened the current Philippine-US relationship to that of Japan and South Korea. – With Giovanni Nilles