Duterte said he had clarified his stance to Obama when they met in Laos. But Duterte dismissed it and said that America has nothing to do with it.
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Alan Cayetano, who was Duterte’s vice-presidential running mate in this year’s election, described the atmosphere as “warm and cordial”, while a White House official said “the exchange consisted of pleasantries between the two”. Obama called off the meeting.
American investors in the Philippines yesterday warned that President Duterte’s brutal drugs war and foul-mouthed tirades, including branding USA leader Barack Obama a “son of a bitch”, could hit foreign investment.
Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose also confirmed Obama and Duterte met in the holding room.
“I think I’ve already offered my opinion”, Obama said. “Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum”, Duterte told reporters when asked about his message for Obama.
“As despicable as these (crime) networks may be and as much damage as they do, it is important from our perspective to make sure that we do it the right way”, Obama told reporters when asked about his conversation with Duterte on the sidelines of Laos meetings. He said Asian leaders would be puzzled by Trump’s remarks, and Americans would know who to choose as president on November 8.
Duterte, who assumed the presidency in June, has had an uneasy relationship with the US, his country’s longtime treaty ally.
USA officials had said Duterte’s outbursts won’t affect relations between Manila and Washington, which a U.S. government spokesman described as “rock solid”.
The meeting took place during Obama’s visit to Laos for a regional summit, attended by Duterte and other regional leaders as well.
Duterte and Obama were due to hold talks on Tuesday but the White House canceled the meeting after Duterte’s expletive-laden tirade against the U.S. and Obama on Monday before leaving for Vientiane.
Duterte, who assumed the presidency in June, has had an uneasy relationship with the US, his country’s longtime treaty ally.
For his part, Duterte on Thursday defended his country’s human rights record and called on the United States to help his country combat illicit drugs.
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The United Nations has also spoken out against his crackdown on drugs and crime and yesterday, Duterte added UN chief Ban Ki Moon, who spoke at the ASEAN summit, to the list of those he has insulted.
