Duterte says buying US F-16 jets 'utterly useless'

Published August 23, 2018

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."

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/duterte-says-buying-us-f-16-jets-utterly-useless