Posted: Sep. 8, 2016 8:00 am Updated: Sep.
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Davao (Philippines) (AFP) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, saying he was “not a fan” of the United States, vowed Saturday to steer an independent course for the key Asian ally and refrain from confronting territorial rival China.
While on a visit to the Indonesian capital on Friday, Duterte told a group of Filipinos that the slur was not directed at the USA president and that he had told him so.
Two days after Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s profanity-laced outburst against Obama prompted the White House to cancel their scheduled meeting, the two met and spoke on Wednesday, 7 September, albeit briefly.
The meeting took place in a holding space for leaders, the official said, adding the “exchange consisted of pleasantries between the two”.
An Indonesian diplomat said Duterte held up a picture of Filipinos killed in colonial times to underscore his point.
Philippine officials refused to release Duterte’s remarks, which were not included in his prepared speech.
A Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Charles Joe, also said Obama and Duterte met in the holding room.
They came after Trump said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been a better leader than Obama, at NBC’s Commander-in-Chief forum in NY. “Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum”, Mr Duterte said, apparently in reference to the U.S. president. Pope Francis and U.S. ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg previously had the honor.
Before traveling to Laos for regional summits, Duterte said Monday that Obama should not question him about the rising death toll in his war on drugs, which has been criticized overseas and by Duterte’s opponents in the Philippines.
It was for this reason that the White House made a decision to cancel their scheduled meeting with their non-NATO ally, which was verified during a press conference – transcribed on the White House site – on Tuesday with Deputy National Secretary Adviser for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes, in Laos.
Philippines ambassador to Laos, Marciano Paynor, said the tiff with Obama was part of a learning curve for Duterte, who needed a chance to make the transition from being a city mayor to a head of state. The Philippines voiced regret for Duterte’s comments after Obama cancelled a formal bilateral meeting. Washington has been so liberal about criticizing human rights, human rights and human rights.
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Duterte on Friday said he thought U.N. Secretary-General Ban a fool for bringing up the issue of human rights violations weeks before the summit in Laos.
