Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared that he would not allow Philippine troops to participate in any armed conflicts involving the US.

In his statement in Iloilo province on February 22, Duterte said he does not want his country to be dragged into a war that has nothing to do with the Philippines.

The past involvement of Philippine troops in US missions have not brought significant benefits to the Philippines, he stressed.

Duterte recalled the Iraq war, saying that he doesn’t know exactly how many Philippine troops were deployed in that conflict but as far as he can remember, the invasion was done and there was no weapon of mass destruction. He also mentioned other wars that involved the US.

The Philippines is a treaty ally of the US. However, their relations have been strained in recent years, especially after the US censured the campaign against drug crimes in the Philippines.

At present, about 220,000 Americans, including many US war veterans, are living in the Philippines and about 650,000 US tourists visit the Southeast Asian nation annually.-VNA