Friday – The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte conversed with The President of the United States of America, Barack Obama while they were in Laos, further explaining that he did not harbor ill-will, and that he did not use foul language towards him.
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Just a few months left until President Barack Obama leaves the White House, he’s still schooling a few people on diplomacy.
The traditionally strong ties between the United States and the Philippines have been “strained by language from Philippine leaders” which is also creating “investor concern”, the statement said.
The meeting with the leader of a key American ally in the region had been intended in part to remind the Chinese government that the US has strong relationships in Southeast Asia, all part of Obama’s strategy of providing a strong counterbalance to the rising Chinese power on the continent. “It is in the Constitution, akin talaga yan (That is mine) and you can be very sure that this power given to me in the Constitution will be used only to promote the best interest of the Republic of the Philippines, nothing more”, he said.
“I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody”.
Obama’s call came shortly after Duterte gave what diplomats said was a “fiery” address to leaders of the 18-nation East Asia group, including Obama. Mr Duterte had his outburst on Monday when he was defending his war on drugs that has killed at least 2,400 Filipinos.
Mr. Duterte declined to divulge details on their discussion about the fate of Mary Jean Veloso, a Filipina on death row after being convicted by an Indonesian court for transporting illegal drugs.
“Filipinos are very tired of high crime rates in the country, and the president has played successfully to insecurities”.
The US, Manila’s main military ally and the Philippines’ colonial ruler until 1946, has criticised Duterte’s brutal crackdown on crime which has claimed lives of nearly 3,000 suspected drug peddlers and users since he came to the power in May. He also warned Obama not to challenge him over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
Obama and Duterte shook hands and had a brief chat on Wednesday, officials said, easing the standoff.
President Rodrigo Duterte was unable to meet imprisoned OFW Mary Jane Veloso during his working visit to Indonesia, owing to a tight schedule, media reports said.
“He said that Obama responded: “‘My men will talk to you, ‘ and he replied ‘OK'”.
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“You know, the Philippines is not a vassal state”.
