Story highlights Reuters reports the US blocked the sale of 26,000 rifles to the Philippines

Report comes as Philippine-US relations have soured

(CNN) Outspoken Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had a blunt message for the United States after reports emerged of a potentially blocked arms sale.

"They're blackmailing me that they won't sell weapons? We have lots of explosives here," Duterte said, according to CNN Philippines.

And suggested, the country would turn to Russia for its weapons.

"[I] remember what the Russian diplomat said: Come to Russia, we all have here anything you need."

The comments were in response to a report from Reuters that the US State Department halted the sale of about 26,000 assault rifles to Philippines police over concerns about the country's recent human rights record.