Mr Obama scrapped a planned meeting with Mr Duterte at the Group of 20 summit in Laos after being told of Mr Duterte’s anti-US rant on Monday.
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A foul-mouthed outburst cost the new leader of Washington’s key Pacific ally a chance to meet President Barack Obama in Laos on Tuesday.
President Barack Obama is touring a rehabilitation center in Laos that treats survivors of bombs the USA dropped on the country during the Vietnam War.
The Philippines on Tuesday defended a surge in killings since Rodrigo Duterte became president over two months ago, handing out a 38-page pamphlet at a regional summit praising his campaign against illegal drugs in which thousands have died.
Obama indicated Monday he was wary of meeting with Duterte, suggesting the bombast could prevent making substantial progress between the two nations.
Duterte quickly expressed regrets that his comments inadvertently “came across as a personal attack on the US president”, according to a statement read by his spokesman. The nations agreed to move the meeting to a later date, he added.
Duterte reiterated that other countries should not interfere in Philippine affairs. “Our primary intention is to chart an independent foreign policy while promoting ties with all nations, especially the United States with which we have had a longstanding partnership”, he said.
Hopefully the leaders of both countries can reconcile quickly and find a respectful way forward for mutual benefit of their people.
Duterte has made clear that he values public safety over human rights, effectively sanctioning the extrajudicial killing of drug suspects by police.
Andanar, who was with Duterte in Laos, noted that Obama had emphasized the need for China to abide by its obligation under global law, and “underscored the United States’ unwavering commitment to the security of its treaty allies”. “We would like to work with the Philippines to rebuild bilateral trust and improve bilateral relations”.
He has previously used the epithet against Pope Francis, although he later apologized, and the US ambassador to the Philippines.
In a statement read by his spokesman, Duterte said his “strong comments” in response to questions by a reporter “elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the USA president”.
“I think it was our judgment that given the focus and attention on President Duterte’s comments leading into the meetings here we felt that didn’t create a constructive environment for a bilateral meeting”, Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security advisor told reporters in Laos.
He was replying to a question from an worldwide wire agency on how he would respond if President Obama raised the issue of extrajudicial killings. “We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me”.
Mr Duterte made the remarks on Monday before flying to Laos, where he will attend a regional summit.
“He’s a colorful guy”, Obama said on the eve of the scheduled face-to-face, before pointedly noting: “I always want to make sure if I’m having a meeting that it’s actually productive”.
“Fighting narco-trafficking is tough”, Obama said in China before departing for Laos.
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The relationship between the two countries, which began in 1898 when Spain ceded the Philippines to the US after the Spanish-American War, includes strong military ties. But the Filipino leader lashed out when asked by reporters how he would respond if Obama asked about human rights violations committed in his fearsome war on drugs gangs.
