Manila: Cabinet members tried to clarify Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s position, as he called for “separation” from the US and pivoted to China during a four-day state visit that ended on Friday.

Explaining that Duterte wanted to pursue independent economic policy, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said, “It’s just breaking the dependence with those countries. There will be just a lessening of too much dependence on one side. What is being said now is really balancing this friendship and partnership [with the US].”

“Exports and imports [between the Philippines and the US] won’t stop. Realistically, you can’t stop [business] transactions. We have many investments from the US,” said Lopez.

In a joint statement, Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said, “We will maintain relations with the West but will pursue stronger integration with our neighbours.”

“I don’t think we should be overly bothered by the rhetorics. I don’t very much think it will be translated to real policy,” said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry honorary chairman Sergio Ortiz-Luis, adding, “I did received some texts from American businessmen. Someone texted me, “Goodbye Spam [sounds like Uncle Sam], hello Ma Ling.’”

Negatively reacting, Senator Richard Gordon said, “You don’t leave your old friends who have been reliable just because you want to get a few things.”

But in talking with representatives of US legislators, Gordon also said, “I told them not to worry and to look at the acts and not the words. I told them he [Duterte] tends to air grievances, but it doesn’t mean that this is policy.”

Former president Fidel Ramos, an ally, advised Duterte, “What we need is an interdependent foreign policy. There are only a few countries now that are truly independent of their neighbours. There is not one that I know of that is rich enough that can isolate itself from the region.”

“It is as if we are cutting our bridges behind us and we may not get back there anymore. It is as if this administration is saying goodbye to some of the solid partnerships we have made in the past,” said Ramos.

US officials didn’t sound like courting Duterte. “We still hold that it [Duterte’s rhetoric] is inexplicably at odds with the very close relationship that we have with the Filipino people, as well as the government there, on many different levels, not just from a security perspective,” said US State Department spokesman John Kirby in Thursday.

In a shocking statement, Duterte said in China last Wednesday, “I announce my separation from the United States. I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to [President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way.”

“I will not go to America anymore. We will just be insulted there. America? I cannot go there because they won’t give me a visa. The problem is you go to America, you aren’t issued a visa. But they can enter the Philippines [at] any time, visa-free. Why don’t we get even?” Duterte added — the transcript of the statement reached Manila on Friday.

There were “unconfirmed reports” that he was denied a US visa when the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights investigated him over alleged involvement with the so-called Davao death squad that was blamed for the extrajudicial killing of 1,000 people in the southern Philippines, said the Star.

Duterte has repeatedly cursed US President Barack Obama; called for an end to US-Philippine joint war games and the US anti-terror forces in Zamboanga, southern Philippines, both of which began in 2002; and a review of the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which allows increased US troops and access to eight Philippine bases nationwide.

Earlier, Duterte called on Filipinos not to forget US’ war atrocities from 1898 to 1946; US’ abandonment of Filipinos during the Japanese invasion from 1943 to 1945; and the creation of Philippine dependency on the US — resulting in the weakening of the its air and naval forces when the Philippines hosted former US Clark Air Base in Angles, Pampanga and former US Subic Naval Base in Olongapo, Zambales. The Philippine Congress rejected in 1991 the US-proposed 10-year extension of the now defunct US-Philippine Military Bases Agreement that resulted in the closure of Subic in 1992. Clark closed down after it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Zambales Range in 1991.