In a statement read out Tuesday by his spokesman, Duterte said his “strong comments” to certain questions by a reporter “elicited concern and distress”.
Advertisement
“He regrets that his remarks to the press have caused much controversy”.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte occupied center stage on the eve of the summit Monday when he made comments about Obama that included a “son of a bitch” remark. “Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum”, said Duterte on camera, prompting Obama to ask his aides whether a “constructive, productive conversation” was still possible.
In his typical foul-mouthed style, Duterte responded: “I am a president of a sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony”.
“We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me”, he added.
They also left a trail of devastation in the country, which USA planes used as a dumping ground for bombs when their original target was unavailable and planes could not land with explosives.
“Our primary intention is to chart an independent foreign policy while promoting closer ties with all nations especially the United States with which we have a longstanding partnership”, Duterte’s statement said.
Second, U.S. -Philippine ties are no sideshow.
Calling Duterte “a colourful guy”, the U.S. president said was asking his staff to find out whether a meeting would be useful.
The tough-talking Duterte took over as president pledging a war on drugs and threatening to “dump all of you (drug dealers) into Manila Bay, and fatten all the fish there”. “I felt really scared and nervous because it was my first time”, says a contract lady killer.
US President Barack Obama on Tuesday pledged 90 million dollars to help clear millions of unexploded bombs in Laos that date back to the Vietnam War.
Duterte won the presidency in May after promising to suppress crime and wipe out the illegal drug trade in a country where the number of methamphetamine users is estimated to be at least 1.3 million in a population of 100 million.
Appearing from the Group of 20 summits in Hangzhou, China, Obama aware of the insult. He said that he would swear to him and called him, “Son of a whore”. Duterte is set to meet President Obama at a regional summit in Laos on September 6, and lashed out at the American president ahead of their meeting.
“Maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations”.
“Obviously the Filipino people are some of our closest friends and allies and the Philippines is a treaty ally of ours”, Obama said before departing for Laos.
Advertisement
Duterte was referring to Friday blast at the night market along Roxas Avenue that killed 14 people and wounded 70 others.
