White House aides said that Obama canceled the official meeting in Laos out of concern that it would be consumed by the fallout of Duterte’s remarks rather than by the discussions of more serious geopolitical challenges, including Beijing’s increasing reach into the South China Sea.
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Duterte himself thought more than well of his first global appearance as the Philippines’ head of state.
He declined to say whether Mr Duterte apologised to him in the brief meeting.
Duterte also has waged a fierce government campaign against illicit drug trade that has resulted in the killing of more than 2,400 suspected drug dealers.
The President explained that it was the media that put a spin on his statement, made in reply to a question at a press conference last Monday shortly before he left for Vientiane, Laos to attend the ASEAN Leaders summit.
“Check it out. I said that, but not in relation to Obama”, he said.
“I am the president of the Philippines, not the republic of the global community”, he said.
Obama was also asked to respond to Trump’s comment in a televised forum that Vladimir Putin is a stronger leader for Russian Federation than he’s been for the United States.
Yasay made the assessment in Jakarta after the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit at Vientiane, which landed him at the worldwide headlines because of foul language he used before he left the Philippines earlier this week. “I give him a high score of 8.5”, Yasay told reporters. You must be respectful. “Do not just throw questions”, he said, promising he would swear at Obama if the issue were brought up.
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. Mr Obama said he had told Mr Duterte that their aides should confer on how to move forward, adding that the spat would have no effect on the close cooperation between the longtime treaty allies.
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.
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He also said he showed a picture of an atrocity during the USA pacification campaign in the southern Philippines at the beginning of the last century at the East Asia Summit in Laos that included Mr Obama, in order to stop criticism over human rights violations in the war on illegal drugs.
