Philippine President Duterte vows not to visit the US

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is well-known for his sharp words, has made another acidic comment towards the US, saying he will never visit the country during his term or after.

He also called on the US to examine its human rights record after Washington accused him of human rights violations.

The remarks came after US congressman Jim McGovern said Duterte should not be invited to the White House. He threatened to lead protests if the Philippine president visits the US.

According to the Philippine National Police, more than 7,000 deaths were reported in the second half of 2016 as part of the "Drug War."

Human rights groups have been sharply criticizing his method of eradicating his country's drug problem, citing the lack of due process and killings that target the poor.

In response, Duterte said the US itself had committed grave violations of human rights, and he singled out what is happening in the Middle East

The US and the Philippines are allies, and their relationship dates back to the Spanish-American War of the late 1800s. However, the relationship soured during the Obama administration, after the then US president criticized the mass killings under Duterte.

Duterte has also shown his intention to strengthen relationships with China and Russia.

While, recently, the relationship between the Philippines and the US are recovering after US President Donald Trump praised Duterte's war on drugs and invited him to the White House in April.