Duterte recalls being denied a US visa before:”Bakit hindi natin tablahin?”

President Rodrigo Duterte wants to settle an old score with the US embassy, he recalls he was once denied of a United States visa when he planned to visit a girlfriend in college.

During his speech in front of the Filipino community in Beijing, China, Duterte questions why the Americans can enter the Philippines visa-free when Filipinos had a hard time securing a travel document to visit the US.

“America? Miski ako hindi ako makapunta doon, hindi ako bigyan ng visa ng mga…” he said.

He narrated that he was asked what would happen if he decided to marry and stay in the US.

“Sabi ko, ‘Mr. Consul, even if you offer me free visas for a lifetime and even if you offer me 10,000 dollars, I’d still return to my country and be a Filipino,’” Duterte recalled and the crowd broke into cheers.



“The problem is, you go to America? You’ll not be issued a visa,” he stressed.

He added that a local government official was also denied of a visa although he was invited to an event by the US government itself.

“The poor man had to travel. He was in poor health. Pagdating dito [US Embassy], he was denied. Pero sila anytime. They enter the Philippines visa-free. Well, there will always be a time for reckoning. Bakit hindi natin tablahin?” Duterte said and gave a faint smile.

Duterte had been releasing tirades against US, after American officials expressed concerned over the spate of drug-related deaths since the new administration came in.

US President Barack Obama previously advised Duterte to fight crime the right way, after the former Davao City mayor cursed right before flying to Vientiane, Laos for the ASEAN Summit. A bilateral meeting between the two leaders was cancelled after Duterte blurted out expletives. [source]