Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has again criticised the United States, saying it could forget a bilateral defence deal if he stayed in power long enough.
The fresh attack from Mr Duterte came as he was about to board a plane for an official visit to fellow US ally Japan, a big investor in the Philippines that is becoming nervous about its apparent pivot towards rival power China.
Mr Duterte had softened his remarks last week about a "separation" from the US, telling Japanese media he was not planning to change alliances and was only seeking to build trade and commerce with China.
But this morning he said he hated having foreign troops in the Philippines and told the United States not to treat his country "like a dog with a leash".
Commenting on a visit to Manila yesterday by Daniel Russel, an Assistant Secretary of State, Mr Duterte said the US should forget about an Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines if he were to stay in charge longer.
"You have the EDCA, well forget it. If I stay here long enough," he said. "I do not want to see any military man of any other nation except the Filipino. That's the only thing I want."
He did not elaborate on what staying longer meant. In the Philippines, a president is allowed only one six-year term in office.
Mr Duterte last week announced in China his "separation" from the United States, before assuring that ties were not being severed and he was merely pursuing an independent foreign policy.
His latest swipe at the US could worry Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants to keep ties with the Philippines tight.
In a composed reading of a statement prior to departure for Tokyo, Mr Duterte described Japan as a true friend that had played a "preeminent and peerless role" as a big investor and Philippine development partner.
But he quickly became vexed when answering questions and held up the front page of a Philippine newspaper which carried the headline "Duterte sparking international distress - US".
Mr Duterte criticised the US on several fronts, from its bombings of Manila at the end of World War II to embassy officials once questioning his intentions when he applied for a visa to visit a girlfriend.
"You know, I did not start this fight," he said of the spat with the US.
His overtures to China and hostility towards the United States have raised questions about what Mr Duterte's overall goal is and the extent to which his actions could shake up the geopolitical dynamic of a region wary about Beijing's growing influence and US staying power.
Mr Abe has sought to strengthen ties with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, as a counter-balance to Beijing.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said both presidents would have a meeting to "further the strategic partnership with the Philippines".
It is unclear where Mr Duterte's latest diatribe leaves US-Philippines ties.
