Obama arrived in Vientiane, Laos, on Monday, becoming the first sitting president to visit the nation.
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Obama and Duterte had been scheduled to meet Tuesday on the summit’s sidelines.
The President flew here to attend the three-day 28th and 29th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summits, his first foreign travel since he was sworn in as head of state on June 30.
He said Mr Obama must not disrespect him. Then, using a curse in Tagalog that can be translated as “son of a bitch”, he added, “I will swear at you in that forum”.
The White House cancelled President Barrack Obama’s meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte following a controversial statement made by the latter, reported New York Times.
“We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me”, he said.
In one of the last acts of his so-called “pivot” to Asia, Obama is expected to announce greater help in clearing bombs dropped by USA forces on Laos during the Vietnam War.
“Obviously the Filipino people are some of our closest friends and allies and the Philippines is a treaty ally of ours”.
“We recognize the significant burden the drug trade plays in the Philippines and around the world (but) we will always assert the need to have due process and engage the fight against drugs in a way that is consistent with basic worldwide norms”, Obama said.
He was to meet with Obama on the sidelines of the summit today during which the US president was reportedly planning to speak to his Filipino counterpart about human rights.
Eager to show he would not yield, Mr Obama said he would “undoubtedly” still bring up human rights and due process concerns “if and when” the two do meet.
Obama initially shrugged off Duterte’s comments, telling reporters, “Clearly, he’s a colorful guy”.
The Philippines has been aligned with the United States in its dispute with China over the South China Sea, in which Washington blames Beijing for militarising a vital global trade route and jeopardising freedom of movement at sea and in the air.
The approach gained vast support among the average public, however raising concerns from political opponents, human rights groups and the USA in particular.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte boards his limousine upon arrival in Vientiane, Laos, on Monday.
In the meantime, he said the purge would continue: ‘More people will be killed, plenty will be killed until the last pusher is out of the streets, ‘ he said.
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But perhaps Duterte’s aides realized it would be unwise to take on the most powerful official in the world, and that there would be a price to pay for insulting the president of the United States.
