“He was quite sensitive to our war on drugs and he wishes me well in my campaign and said that we are doing, as he so put it, ‘the right way,’ ” the President said.

Washington has been critical of the Philippines handling of drug dealers, including extrajudical killings — government executions without the benefit of judicial proceedings. That has sparked Duterte’s resentment.

Duterte’s verbal tirades and tilt away from Washington have raised many eyebrows since he took office in May.

While on a trip to China in October, Duterte said that “America has lost,” and that he has realigned himself with China’s “ideological flow.” He later clarified his comments about relations with the United States saying he was rather pursuing a “separation of foreign policy” from the US.