Philipines’ Duterte wants US troops out in two years

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech at Philippines Economic Forum in Tokyo, Japan on October 26, 2016. -Reuters

TOKYO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he wants US troops out of his country in the next two years and is willing to scrap defence pacts with longtime ally Washington if necessary.

The comments follow a series of anti-American tirades by the firebrand leader, who has repeatedly attacked the US while cosying up to Beijing, upending his nation’s foreign policy in comments that have sometimes been quickly retracted.