Philippine officials revealed that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Obama met informally at a regional summit in Laos, said The Associated Press.
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The exchange came after the White House canceled a formal meeting with Mr. Duterte this week due to profane comments he made when speaking Monday about Mr. Obama and the Philippines’ alliance with the U.S. Mr. Duterte has since said he regrets the comments.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay represented Duterte at the Asean-UN bilateral meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.
But the White House scrapped the sit-down after Duterte called Obama a “son of a bitch” and vowed to swear at him if he brought up his government’s use of extrajudicial killings in its war on drugs.
Obama is the first US President to visit Laos and has adopted a noticeably conciliatory approach towards his hosts.
His outburst was prompted by United States assertions that Obama planned to raise the issue of Duterte’s war on crime that has claimed 3,000 lives in just over two months.
Earlier this week, Duterte used profanity with reporters when they asked how he would respond if Obama asked about his overseeing the deaths of more than 2,000 suspected drug runners since he took office in June.
“You must be respectful”.
“I’m not kidding”, Duterte said, according to an official video of his speech posted on Tuesday. “In good times and bad, you can count on the United States of America”, Obama said.
US State department spokesman Mark Toner admitted that the US scrapped the meeting because Duterte’s statements raised questions about the chances of a productive discussion.
Prime Minister Modi reached Laos capital Vientiane today to attend ASEAN-India and East Asia Summit. “Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you”, said Duterte, after reiterating his stance that criminal elements like terrorists were already “beyond redemption”.
The first US president to set foot in Laos while in office, Obama lamented that many Americans remain unaware of the “painful legacy” left behind.
At a Q-and-A session with Southeast Asian youth leaders, Obama says he thinks Washington will refocus after the election on why the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement is so important. But he also noted Americans “haven’t always had to know about other countries” because of the U.S.’s large size and that sometimes they are “lazy”. Both major presidential candidates also oppose TPP.
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But both sides have moved closer in recent years and Obama’s visit – the first by a United States president to Laos – is being hailed as a landmark opportunity to reset ties. “I thought, the mayor should have been first”, he said. This would be the eighth meeting between Modi and Obama in two years.
