Duterte’s aides later said the two met briefly and shook hands in a holding room prior to the gala dinner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wednesday night.
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Duterte sparked a storm on the eve of the ASEAN summit this week by uttering expletives, apparently at the USA president.
The president sent his Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay to lead the Filipino delegation in ASEAN’s meetings with India and the United States, and in the East Asia Summit.
President Duterte said yesterday he told US President Barack Obama that he had never called him “son of a whore” or had meant to insult him when he uttered an “ordinary” Filipino expression.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, center left, walks with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, center right, during their visit to Tanah Abang Market on the sidelines of their meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016.
Obama canceled a planned meeting with Duterte after the Philippine president made his comments. You must be respectful.
President Barack Obama said Thursday that Republican Donald Trump confirms his belief that Trump isn’t qualified to be president “every time he speaks”, adding that he was confident Americans would ultimately reject the brash billionaire on Election Day.
Despite US dismay over Duterte’s remarks, current and former US officials played down the impact, saying they did not expect any serious damage to ties at a time of high tensions over China’s extensive territorial claims in Asia. He said the leaders had helped create a unified voice against North Korea in the wake of missile launches that stirred further concerns about the North’s nuclear program. “Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum”, Duterte told reporters shortly before flying to Laos.
“I don’t take these comments personally because it seems this is a phrase he’s used repeatedly, including directly at the pope and others, so I think it seems to be a habit”, Obama said Thursday. Philippine media also reported that Duterte’s daughter had just suffered a miscarriage, likely affecting Duterte’s state of mind.
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“I expect to work very hard over the next four and a half months”, he said. More than 2,800 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed since Duterte took office.
