MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine president is opposing an offer by the U.S. defense chief and other top American officials to buy F-16 fighter jets, saying such an acquisition would be “utterly useless” because his country needs lighter combat aircraft to fight insurgents.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine president is opposing an offer by the U.S. defense chief and other top American officials to buy F-16 fighter jets, saying such an acquisition would be “utterly useless” because his country needs lighter combat aircraft to fight insurgents.
President Rodrigo Duterte scoffed Thursday night at the offer he said was made in a letter by Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, which came after he was slammed by the U.S. for his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs.
During a televised speech in a military ceremony, Duterte read what he said was the letter to him by the U.S. officials.
Duterte says the Philippines doesn’t need the F-16s “and yet they dangled (them) before us after they humiliated us.”
Filipino pilots in slower prop planes were so incompetent during a recent mission to root out enemy forces in a town, that they bombed their own people killing a number of innocent civilians.
Filipino Marines stationed on rusted ship hulks can hardly defend their own islands against Chinese intrusions. The F-16’s were part of a package that Filipino government agreed to pay for the upgrades, while the US provided the basic F-16 C’s pretty much for free.
What happened to all the money America paid to the Philipine government when Clark Air Base and other bases were in operation? It was squandered by corrupt officials and now he wants it for free? One day the Chinese will discover oil near by and claim it for themselves and there is nothing those Filipinos can do but watch and eat bulate.