When the enemy of your enemy says you have crossed the line, the line is probably so far behind that it is not even visible anymore.
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The Filipino president called Obama a “son of a b–” on Monday and, while speaking to reporters, warned Obama not to question his policy of extrajudicial killings.
Duterte said he would demand that Obama allow him to first explain the context of his crackdown before engaging the US president in a discussion about the deaths.
The Air Force One comment refers to an incident at the G20 summit in China where Obama had to exit his airplane from the back entrance instead of the traditional exit onto a red carpet. “I urge that we improve maritime security cooperation”, he said.
The meeting comes just days after Duterte used explosive language about Obama, forcing Obama to abruptly postpone a formal meeting the two had scheduled during his visit to the region.
“When the president of the Philippines insulted our president, it was appropriate in a very low-key way to say: sorry, no meeting”, said the former secretary of the state.
MALACAÑANG guaranteed Wednesday that there was “no diplomatic crisis” between the Philippines and the United States (US) as bilateral relationship of the two countries remain intact.
“We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me”.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be seated between the two powerful men he has slammed in the past few months in a gala dinner on Wednesday, September 7. “You just can not shoot a statement against the president of any country”.
Clinton, who as secretary of state was an architect of Obama’s policy of emphasising the importance of the Asia Pacific to USA interests in the face of a rising China, said Obama was right to cancel the meeting.
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In a news briefing in Washington attended by the news service, state department spokesperson Mark Toner added: “Words matter, and we want to see an atmosphere that is cordial and open to strong cooperation”.
