The maverick former city mayor, who was shunned on Tuesday by the White House for insulting U.S. President Barack Obama over his bloody “war on drugs”, looked dapper as he posed for pictures in a classic, two-button charcoal suit and silk tie.
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Obama cancelled Tuesday’s meeting after Duterte called him a “son of a whore” (in Tagalog) on Monday, shortly before leaving for Laos, Efe news reported.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay represented Duterte at the Asean-UN bilateral meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.
“To me, maritime cooperation [among ASEAN countries] must address sources of conflict in the sea, such as illegal fishing, territorial dispute, kidnapping, and armed robbery”, President Jokowi said in Laos, as quoted from a press release issued by the Cabinet Secretariat on Wednesday, September 7, 2016. Again, the Philippine president later said he was only joking, but this week, Duterte said he would not meet with the United Nations secretary general at the ASEAN summit as he had “no time”.
Obama and Duterte had been scheduled to hold their first meeting Tuesday. About 2,500 people have been killed in the so-called “war on drugs” since Mr. Duterte took office June 30. It all springs from the fact the relationship between the Philippines and the United States is firm, very strong.
However, Obama pulled out of the meeting after Duterte made the inflammatory comments, stating: “Clearly, he’s a colourful guy”.
Obama is the first sitting USA president to set foot in the impoverished, landlocked country, where for nine years the US conducted a punishing, covert bombing campaign in an effort to cut off communist forces in neighboring Vietnam.
There was no immediate confirmation from the White House regarding the meeting. “In good times and bad, you can count on the United States of America”, Obama said. The Philippines has traditionally relied heavily on US support when it comes to combating extremist groups.
The apparent move may have saved Duterte some awkward small talk and Philippine officials later told the Associated Press said that Obama and Duterte did speak informally at the event.
The first USA president to set foot in Laos while in office, Obama lamented that many Americans remain unaware of the “painful legacy” left behind.
Asked whether Thailand was siding with China, he said Thailand “wants to see peace maintained in the interests of all parties”, without giving further details.
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In a statement read by his spokesman, Duterte said his “strong comments” in response to the reporter’s questions “elicited concern and distress”.
