The abuse took place just a day before the planned meeting of Southeast Asian leaders for annual summits. The pledge doubles the current US funding for the effort.
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“The United States is more deeply engaged across the Asia-Pacific than we have been in decades”, Obama said.
The U.S.is one of the Philippines’ largest trading partners and a key security ally in its fight against Muslim militants in the country’s south. Manila also needs Washington’s help in dealing with a more assertive China in the disputed South China Sea. “He ‘******’ me off”, Duterte said.
Obama had raised concerns over extra-judicial killings of drug dealers in the Asian country, something that Duterte had called for during his short time as president.
A planned meeting between President Barack Obama and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte turned into an global spat after Duterte had some choice words about America’s foreign policy.
Phillippine President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted he “regrets” calling US President Barack Obama a “son of a b***h”, or what also translates in Tagalog as “son of a w***e”.
“He regrets that his remarks to the press have caused much controversy”, it added.
Greeted by a military band, traditional dancers and a warm, tropical rain, Obama told Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit he hoped to forge a partnership that would “make our two countries whole again” and promised a new era would “mean greater progress and opportunity for the people of Laos”.
The White House said the president was expected to speak frankly of his concerns about Human Rights in the Philippines during his meeting with Duterte.
“We are going to work diligently together with the most recent United Nations sanctions”, Obama told reporters after meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
Obama arrived in Vientiane just before midnight on Monday for the first visit by a sitting US president to Laos, where he wants to begin to address the legacy of USA bombing during the Vietnam War.
“More people will be killed, plenty will be killed until the last pusher is out of the streets”.
Barack Obama, who was in China for a Group of 20 meeting, departed on Monday for Laos, becoming the first American president to visit the nation.
Police have killed 1,033 people in anti-drug operations since Duterte was sworn into office just over two months ago.
Duterte has repeatedly poured scorn on critics, usually larding it with curses. The world leaders are meeting in Laos for the regional summit.
Duterte has previously cursed Pope Francis and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
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On Tuesday, Duterte met the leaders of Singapore, Japan and Vietnam.
