"The United States-Philippines alliance is built on a 70-year history of strong people-to-people ties, including a vibrant Filipino- American diaspora and a long list of shared security concerns. So the focus of the Obama administration right now is on the broad relationship with the Philippines and our work together in the many areas of mutual interest to improve the livelihoods of the Filipino people and uphold our shared Democratic values." White House Flak Josh Earnest 10/5/2016
The residents of Olongapo are also fearful that one fine day, Duterte might decide to throw them out of the country because they are Americans. "The biggest fear is that one day he's going to wake up and say 'everybody from the U.S., get out of town' and we'd have to leave our loved ones behind," Jack Walker, a retired Marine sergeant who has lived in the city for five years, said.
One U.S. official, who did not want to be identified, said there had been an active internal debate in recent months on how far to go in criticizing Duterte's government on human rights and that the measured tone adopted was not as strong as some aides would have liked.Obama taunted and painted the popular President of the Philippines into a corner with 'pimp slap diplomacy.' Duterte is a plain man and plain men 'don't play.'
U.S. attempts to raise questions about Duterte's campaign against drugs, in which more than 3,000 people have been killed since he took office in June, have drawn angry denunciations by Duterte. He has derided Obama as a "a son of bitch" and said he should "go to hell."
"It doesn't seem to help to say anything because the minute you say something, he just lets loose his barrage of obscenities," said Murray Hiebert, deputy director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I think for the U.S. to just blast him constantly is probably not very effective."
"There is no question that Duterte is...trying to play the well-worn game of playing us off against the Chinese," another U.S. official said, on condition of anonymity.Plain people do not play. Duterte is pissed and he has not parsed his piss. He will do what he says, he will do.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that the United States will seek an explanation from Duterte over his "separation" announcement, which he made during a visit to China. But he limited criticism to calling the remarks "baffling" and "inexplicably at odds" with close ties between Washington and Manila.
Put this way by a American expatriate in Subic Bay, just off the naval base that Americans controlled until 1992 and began reusing in 2014 to help with the maritime patrols: “I am going to keep safe inside at night for this period. Keeping your nose clean is the solution.”Treating friends with respect is another good idea.