In a speech, Duterte said, “The Philippines is ready and willing to steer and guide the association”.
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The brief encounter came two days after Obama cancelled a meeting between them due to crude comments Duterte had directed at the United States president.
Philippine officials said Duterte met informally with Obama in a holding room before attending the gala dinner.
Duterte, before arriving in Laos, on Monday had addressed the reporters in Philippines and had called the U.S. President a “son of a b****”, which resulted in Obama cancelling their formal meeting, which was scheduled on Tuesday.
According to a White House official who would not be named discussing the private meeting: Obama had a brief discussion with Duterte before the ASEAN Gala Dinner in the leaders’ holding space. Obama said the United States and Southeast Asian nations gathered in Laos have advanced a vision of an open, competitive economic system in which all nations play by the same rules.
On his last day in Asia, Obama met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose help Obama is seeking to galvanize further action on climate change, especially among developing countries. “You can not distinguish what is proper, what is not”.
During a speech earlier, Obama said the USA focuses on improving human rights in other nations when he travels overseas because it has learned that if you don’t respect all people or religions, then it results in conflict.
In his rant, Duterte also declared, “Son of a bitch, I will swear at you”, though he later claimed that remark was directed at a journalist and not at Obama.
Obama, closing out his final presidential trip to Asia, said his meetings with foreign leaders during the trip had illustrated that governing is “serious business” requiring knowledge, preparation and thought-out policies that can actually be implemented.
“Clearly he’s a colourful guy”, Obama told reporters in Hangzhou, China, after learning of the remarks.
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While the USA wanted to partner with the Philippines on thwarting drug traffickers it also would want “to make sure the partnership we have is consistent with worldwide norms and rule of law”, Obama said. “But we will always assert the need to have due process and to have that fight against drugs in a way that is consistent with global norms”. Duterte has encouraged citizens in Philippines to bring justice to the drug peddlers in the nation as a part of his crackdown on suspected drug-dealers and users. Police also recorded 1,391 deaths during the same period which are still being investigated. This is an independent country. “If you do that, we will end up insulting each other”.
