MIAMI, Florida (The Adobo Chronicles, Washington Bureau) – Philippine presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte threatened to sever ties with the United States once he is elected on May 9 this year, and U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump is thanking him for it.

Duterte made the threat after U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg criticized the mayor for comments in a viral video in which he said he should have been first in line in the serial rape of murdered Australian missionary Jacqueline Hamill. Duterte made the same threat to Australia whose ambassador also condemned the mayor’s comments.

Upon learning of Duterte’s threat, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Trump thanked Duterte for making his job as president much easier.

Trump has consistently said in his campaign that as president he will deport all undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

The real estate mogul said he will not only deport TNTs (the Filipino term for undocumented immigrants), but also revoke the naturalization papers of Filipino Americans.

Trump, however, said that he is open to U.S.-based Filipinos to apply for political asylym if they can prove that going back to the Philippines will subject them to persecution under a Duterte administration.

Latest census figures show that there are about 4 Million Filipinos now living in the United States.