Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte reignited his war of words with the United States on Tuesday, bringing up old grudges and throwing in some new musings on American influence in his country and the region.

Giving a speech at the airport in Manila just before he departed for an official visit to Japan, the controversial leader once again took aim at his country's longest-standing international ally. His speech echoed comments he made a week ago in Beijing, in which he pronounced the end of his country's relationship with the US, saying "America has lost."

He said that the bad blood extends back to his country's elections in May of this year, which he won by a landslide on the back of promises that he would crack down on crime, particularly drug crime.

"You know I didn't start this fight. They started it," he said, referring to comments about his human rights record, made by US Ambassador to the Philippines, Philip Goldberg.

"They started it, then came out the issue of human rights, the State Department, Obama, EU. They did this to me. Then they said, we will cut our assistance. So I said to them, 'son of a bitch, do not make us your dogs, as if I am a dog with a leash, and you throw some bread, where I can't reach.'

"The ambassador said something not very nice. You are not supposed to do that because in an election of another country, you should be careful with your mouth."

(CNN)