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U.S.  SHOULDN'T PAY FOR DUTERTE'S DRUG WAR

Even in a roomful of tinhorn dictators, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines would stand out.  He has insulted President Barack Obama and Pope Francis, admitted to killing suspected criminals, called a United Nations official an "idiot" and threatened to burn down the U.N.  headquarters.  He's also signaled his interest in closer ties with China, a nation with which the United States has conflicts on trade, security and other matters.

Though it's unclear what kind of relationship he and President-elect Donald Trump will have, the U.S.  may have a difficult balancing act ahead in holding Duterte to international standards while preserving its long-important relationship with the Philippines.  It will be especially important to ensure that U.S.  aid to the Philippines is not used for illicit purposes, such as an extrajudicial war on drugs.

Duterte's outbursts are more unsettling than braggadocio.  They give the impression that he's unhinged.  In September, Duterte called Obama a vulgarity because of concern that the latter intended to question him about summary executions in the Philippines' war on drugs.

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