Beverly Hills – Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao issued staunch support for Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday after the Asian strongman clashed with United States leader Barack Obama over the country’s bloody crime crackdown.
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Obama then canceled a meeting with Duterte in Laos but the two met informally on Wednesday in a holding room before attending a gala dinner.
Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte, center, walks with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo during their visit at Tanah Abang Market on the sidelines of their meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016.
The two presidents are in the Laotian capital along with other regional leaders for the ASEAN Summit.
On the recently concluded East Asia Summit, Mr Duterte also confirmed that he had veered from his prepared speech to speak about human rights and his campaign against drugs, as well as displaying the picture of Filipinos killed by American soldiers about a century ago.
Duterte said later that he regretted the remarks.
Duterte said he had clarified his comments to Obama when they met.
Duterte has also repeatedly promised to protect police from prosecution if they are charged over the deaths and insisted human rights can not get in the way of his war.
“As I said, when I was asked about this in China, I don’t take these comments personally because it seems as if it’s a phrase he’s used repeatedly, including directed to the Pope and others”.
“People start thinking that we should be grading on a curve”, Mr. Obama said.
Duterte, in a statement, said both sides have agreed to move the meeting to a later date.
The White House said Obama had affirmed his support for Indias participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a consortium aimed at preventing civilian nuclear technology from diverted for military use.
“Only China has offered to help us”, Duterte said on Friday. “This is the fault of the insane people in the State Department”, he said. “I don’t think the guy is qualified to be President of the United States”. Concerns for human rights amid reports of police brutality sparked Duterte’s initial tirade against Obama – Duterte warned that, if Obama attempted to lecture him on human rights, “son of a whore, I will swear at you”.
“We hope there will be no more such security issues in the Sulu Sea”, said Jokowi as he thanked Duterte for his commitment to push for better cooperation in maritime security.
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Duterte asked the Filipino community in Indonesia to pray for him “not because you love me but because you need me”.
