Philippines' Duterte says Trump deserves to be re-elected

MANILA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte said on Saturday that Donald Trump deserved to be
re-elected, praising the U.S. president's reaction to his
decision to end a decades-old military agreement with the United
States.
Trump said on Wednesday he did not mind Duterte's decision
to end the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) even as his defence
secretary, Mark Esper, called the move "unfortunate" as
Washington and its allies press China to abide by "international
rules" in Asia. "It is President Trump's circumspect and judicious reaction
to the termination of the VFA that made President Duterte give
the following remarks: 'President Trump is a good president and
he deserves to be re-elected'," presidential spokesman Salvador
Panelo said in a statement.
The VFA is important to the overall U.S.-Philippines
alliance and sets out rules for U.S. soldiers operating in the
Philippines, a former U.S. territory.
Washington has described the relationship between the two
countries as "iron-clad," despite Duterte's complaints that
include allegations of U.S. hypocrisy and ill-treatment.
Trump has frequently expressed a desire to bring U.S.
military forces home from decades-long deployments abroad and
has strong-armed some allies into paying more for the right to
U.S. defence.
Trump has said that the United States helped the Philippines
defeat Islamic State militants.
In his comments about the VFA on Wednesday, Trump added that
he had "a very good" relationship with Duterte.
Duterte's decision, sparked by the revocation of a U.S. visa
held by a former police chief who led his bloody war on drugs,
could complicate U.S. military interests in the Asia-Pacific
region as China's ambitions rise.
The firebrand leader, who favours closer ties with China and
Russia, has said it was time for the Philippines to be
militarily independent.
Some Philippine lawmakers hope the VFA can be saved in the
180 days before the termination takes effect, and expressed
concern that without it, two other U.S. military agreements will
become useless.