In an apparent shift in US-Philippine defense relations, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he is seeking to buy arms from China and Russia while ordering his top defense officials to end joint freedom of navigation patrols with the US in the South China Sea.

In an interview on Tuesday in Manila, Duterte said two countries had offered a 25-year loan for Manila to buy military weaponry, but he refused to identify these countries.

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The Philippine leader said he had instructed the Philippines defense minister and other high-ranking military officials to proceed to China and Russia and check out the various military equipment needed by the armed forces.

Planes and weaponry

Duterte said the country needs planes and weaponry to fight local insurgents and terrorists in Mindanao, but ruled out the purchase of fighter jets saying these would not be of use in defending the country.

"I want to purchase arms where they are cheap and where there are no strings attached, and it is transparent," Duterte stated.

He said that since the Philippine government has no intentions of going to war with any country, the sophisticated F-16 fighter jets would have no use for the military in protecting the country's sovereignty.

"I don't need jets, F-16 -- that's of no use to us," Duterte said. "We don't intend to fight any country."

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 75 percent of the Philippine military's arms were imported from the United States since 1950.

Political analysts say Duterte's latest remarks could indicate a shift away from the Mutual Defense Treaty which has governed the US-Philippine defense relations since 1951.

Duterte recently called on US forces to leave Mindanao following a public spat with US President Barack Obama during the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos.

Independent foreign policy

"Duterte seems to be putting into action his latest remarks about trying to implement an independent foreign policy," said Eduardo Tadem, a lecturer of Asian Studies at the University of the Philippines.

"The problem is what's the quid pro quo? What will the Chinese especially get in exchange,?" he asked.

Duterte, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Philippine military, said the country would not join the US anymore in patrolling the disputed South China Sea saying he does not want his troops to be involved in a "hostile act."

The Philippines had joined the US in conducting freedom of navigation patrols in the disputed maritime territory this year despite China's opposition. 

An arbitration court ruling handed down in July dismissed China's claims to the disputed South China Sea saying Beijing violated the Philippines' rights to explore resources within its exclusive economic zone.

China boycotted the entire legal proceedings in the Hague-based court and dismissed the verdict as "illegal" and "null and void."

Duterte is pushing for bilateral talks with China to settling their conflict and has vowed not to raise the ruling before any international forum.

He said Philippine and Chinese officials are currently laying the groundwork for possible formal talks between the two countries, which would be held within this year,

TagsFreedom of navigation patrols, South China Sea