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Philippines Tells U.S. Military to Leave? — Duterte Makes a Bold Move

2,987 views · Published 14 September 2016 · 4:15 · Indexed 6 November 2026

Channel: Mike Martins · 2016 · News & Politics

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I wanted to throw a quick video out there about what’s happening in the Philippines with newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte. My wife is from the Philippines and she follows the news there regularly, especially 24 Oras, so we’ve been talking quite a bit about Duterte, what he’s doing, and where the country could be headed under his leadership.

Duterte has already become one of the most controversial leaders in the region. He built his reputation in Davao as a politician who gets things done, and now he’s bringing that same aggressive approach to the entire country. His campaign against drugs and crime is already attracting enormous attention both inside and outside the Philippines.

But now there’s another major issue developing: Duterte is talking about wanting U.S. military personnel and special forces out of the Philippines.

This could become a very important story because of everything happening around the South China Sea. China is becoming increasingly assertive in the region, several countries have competing territorial interests, North Korea continues to create uncertainty, and enormous amounts of international trade pass through these waters.

The Philippines has also had a long relationship with the United States, so changing that relationship could have consequences far beyond the Philippines itself.

Personally, I think having some Western military presence in this particular region makes sense because of the strategic importance of the South China Sea and the U.S. position in Guam. At the same time, Duterte is president of the Philippines, and he clearly wants to establish that his country will make its own decisions.

So what do you guys think?

Is Duterte making the right move by demanding that U.S. forces leave?

Could the Philippines actually move further away from the United States? Could it move closer to China instead? And what would that mean for the balance of power in Asia?

Comment below and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism and different opinions are welcome.

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