“I can’t say how long they met”, Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, travelling with Mr Duterte, told reporters shortly afterwards.
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“Only shows that many Japanese still harbor animosity for the U.S. for humiliating Japan in World War II”, said Takei, apparently referring to the dropping of atomic bombs by American forces at Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing hundreds of thousands to force Japan to surrender.
“You actually have to know what you are talking about and you actually have to have done your homework”, Obama said Thursday. Obama has endorsed Hillary Clinton and has said he plans to campaign full-force for the Democrat before the November 8 election.
On the United States partnership with the Philippines in fighting narcotics trafficking as well as terrorists, Obama said: “We do want to make sure that the partnership we have is consistent with worldwide norms and rule of law”.
During his press conference Thursday, Obama insisted his vow to close the naval prison at Guantanamo Bay could be accomplished before he leaves office in January, despite a recalcitrant Congress.
“I’m very happy that it happened”. “I continue to believe Guantanamo is a recruitment tool for terrorism”. The plan has drawn sharp opposition from Republican lawmakers, whose approval would be required in order to move Guantanamo detainees to the US.
The awkwardness continued days later when Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called Obama a “son of a bitch” and warned him not to challenge him in their planned meeting in Laos, leading Obama to call it off.
Socorro “Yuko” Takei, a Filipina freelance journalist who has lived in Japan for many years, said because of President Duterte’s controversial comments and unconventional character, many Japanese label him the “Donald Trump of the Philippines”.
Obama made the statement at a news conference at the end of his trip to Laos, where he joined other leaders, including Duterte, at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related Summits.
“I don’t take these comments personally, because it seems as if this is a phrase he’s used repeatedly, directed at the pope and others”, Obama said of the slur.
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Obama said both of their governments should work together to advance relations between their two countries.
