US Diplomat accuses Philippines' Duterte of sparking distress around the world

Duterte sparked diplomatic alarm when he announced a "separation" with US during a state visit to Beijing last week

America's top diplomat for Asia said on Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks and a "real climate of uncertainty" about his government's intentions have sparked distress in the United States (US) and other countries.

Daniel Russel, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr international concern over continuing killings under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs.

Russel's visit to the Philippines, part of a three-nation trip to Southeast Asia, comes amid increasing uncertainty about Washington's treaty alliance with Manila.

The brash Duterte, who took office on June 30, has displayed antagonism towards America, declaring his desire to scale back military engagements with the US and telling President Barack Obama "to go to hell."

Duterte's administration, however, has not formalised his public declarations to remove US counter-terrorism forces from the volatile southern Philippines and stop large-scale joint exercises involving American forces, creating confusion even among his Cabinet officials.

In a major walk-around, Duterte sparked diplomatic alarm when he announced a "separation" with the US during a state visit to Beijing last week .

Upon returning home a day after his remarks, Duterte said he did not mean he was severing diplomatic ties with Washington but wanted to end a foreign policy that's overly oriented toward the US.

"I've pointed out to Secretary Yasay that the succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine," Russel told reporters in Manila after a meeting with Yasay that went overtime.

The unease, Russel said, was also palpable "not only among governments, but also (i)n other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporation board rooms as well."

"This is not a positive trend," he said, adding that the US remains committed to continuing a solid alliance with and providing assistance to the Philippines.

Russel said that while Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, the rapprochement should not come at the expense of the US or other nations.

"It's a mistake to think that improved relations between Manila and Beijing come at the expense of the US," he said. "This should be an addition and not a subtraction."