The apparent mental instability of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who automatically reacts to any criticism of his policies with a spate of unwarranted invectives against his perceived tormentors, gravely jeopardizes the future of the alliance defying communist China in Asia.

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That alliance championed by Duterte's more level headed predecessor, Benigno Simeon Aquino, saw the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and the United States draw closer together to oppose China's unlawful demands to own most of the South China Sea.

In suing and winning against China at the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Philippines gave this alliance and the world the legal ground for opposing Chinese hegemony.

Since taking office in July, however, Duterte has insulted both U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg and U.S. President Barack Obama in the space of two months. He offended Goldberg, calling him "a gay son of a whore," and Obama, whom he scorned as a "son of a whore."

For good measure, he told Obama he was not an American puppet and dared the U.S. leader to apologize for atrocities committed against Filipinos by American soldiers during the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1902.

The "crime" of both men in Duterte's eyes: both questioned the mass killing resulting from Duterte's war on drugs that resulted in the deaths of over 2,400 Filipino drug suspects in just two months.

About half of this grisly toll was inflicted by the Philippine National Police, whose stock excuse for killing suspected drug dealers is these people were shot to death after attempting to shoot it out with them. None of these men were apparently served warrants of arrest.

The rest of those killed were allegedly gunned down by "vigilante groups" many Filipinos suspect are also policemen masquerading as vigilantes.

Duterte warned during the presidential campaign his war on drugs would be bloody and he's apparently living up to that promise. He also said that instead of 1,000 dead criminals, the number might rise to 100,000 dead if he were elected president. 

Duterte was once accused by the Aquino administration of being behind the "Davao Death Squad" that murdered dozens of suspcted drug dealers. Duterte previously admitted his links to the Davao Death Squad, however. Duterte was the former Mayor of Davao City in the southern island of Mindanao.

"Ako, ako daw death squad? (Me, I'm behind the death squad?)True, that's true," Duterte once said on Philippine radio.

Duterte also questioned Aquino's decision to buy 12 FA-50PH fighter jets from South Korea. The jets, costing $406 million, are the most expensive acquisitions under the Philippine armed forces' modernization program.

The first two jets were delivered to the Philippines in November 2015. The 10 other jets are to arrive before the end of the year. The jets, the first new fighters to arm the badly equipped Philippine Air Force in 40 years, will be used to patrol Philippine islands in the South China Sea.

Duterte, who was the former mayor of Davao City that was plagued by both the Muslim and communist insurgencies, said the jets can't be used to fight the rebels. In a fit of shortsighted pique, he said the two FA-50s delivered to the Air Force can't challenge China. The jets are only good for ceremonial fly-bys, said the uncomprehending Duterte.

"We only have what two FA-50s? Why did you buy that?" asked Duterte.

The Philippine ABS-CBN news network last April published a report that sought to explain Duterte's erratic behavior.

Why Duterte thinks the way he does was explained in a report prepared by a psychologist entered as evidence in annulment proceedings in 1988 filed Duterte's his former wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman. Zimmerman was married to Duterte in 1973 and separated from him in 1998.

The report by Dr. Natividad Dayan, former president of the International Council of Psychologists, concluded Duterte suffers from "Antisocial Narcissistic Personality Disorder."

This is a disorder characterized by "gross indifference, insensitivity and self-centeredness;" a "grandiose sense of self-entitlement and manipulative behaviors" and "pervasive tendency to demean, humiliate others and violate their rights and feelings."

Dr. Dayan's examination of Duterte said he's likely to be "a highly impulsive individual who has difficulty controlling his urges and emotions. He is unable to reflect on the consequences of his actions."

Among the features of this disorder is the "inability for loyalty and commitment, gross indifference to others' needs and feelings heightened by lack of capacity for remorse and guilt."

Duterte also tends to rationalize and justify his wrongdoings, said the report.

"For all his wrongdoings, he tends to rationalize and feel justified. Hence, he seldom feels a sense of guilt or remorse."

TagsPhilippines, Rodrigo Duterte, china, Philip Goldberg, Barack Obama, Davao Death Squad, Davao City, ABS-CBN, Elizabeth Zimmerman, Dr. Natividad Dayan, Antisocial Narcissistic Personality Disorder