Philippines Yet to Notify US on Canceling Order for Weapons - State Department

The United States has not received a notice from the Philippine government to cancel a purchase order for more than 20,000 rifles originally intended to arm the country’s national police, US Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Duterte claimed he will cancel an order for 26,000 US-made M16 rifles to "look for a cheaper source," according to the Philippine Star said in a Twitter post.

"We have not received any notification," Toner said on Monday when asked if Manila notified Washington about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s vow to cancel the weapons purchase.

In addition to insulting US President Barack Obama, Duterte recently said it was time for Manila to "say goodbye" to the United States’ long use of Philippine land for military bases.

During a recent visit to Beijing, Duterte announced his country was separating from the United States in order to realign with China.