In a statement read out by his spokesman, Duterte said that while his “strong comments” in response to certain questions by a reporter “elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the USA president”. “Our primary intention is to chart an independent foreign policy while promoting closer ties with all nations, especially the United States with which we had had a longstanding partnership”.
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“You must be respectful, do not just throw questions”.
“We are not butchers who just kill people for no apparent reason”, the Filipino leader said in a 38-page pamphlet that was presented at the Southeast Asian and East Asian or Asean summit in Laos. “Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum”, Duterte told a news conference shortly before flying to Laos to attend a summit on Monday.
Obama said he had heard about the comment and told his aides to determine whether it would still be productive to hold a face-to-face meeting.
Ben Rhodes, Obama’s Deputy National Security Adviser, said the focus on Duterte’s comments leading into the summit had not created a constructive environment for a bilateral meeting.
Duterte also threatened earlier to pull the Philippines out of the United Nations over criticism of his crackdown on illegal drug trade that has led to a wave of extrajudicial killings.
The new figures came after Duterte vowed on Monday to defy a wave of global condemnation and continue killing until every drug trafficker in the Philippines was dead.
Much of the worldwide attention on Duterte during his presidential race focused on his unorthodox political style (using profanity and challenging rivals to duels) and later on his threats to kill all the country’s criminals.
Duterte has since expressed regret over his offensive remark. The deaths, without legal proceedings, caused the State Department to say it was “concerned” over the actions of the Philippines government. The U.S. has been a major financial supporter of the Philippine military effort.
“They first need to understand the problems that my country faces before they talk about human rights”, said Détente before he continued with making an infamous comment about the USA president.
Both Obama and Duterte have their own ways of dealing with drug dealers, methods which are at opposite ends of the extremist spectrum.
Eyebrows have been raised on the executions of 2400 drug dealers so far.
He has also branded Pope Francis and the USA ambassador to Manila sons of whores.
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“Today, I stand with you in acknowledging the suffering and sacrifices on all sides of that conflict”, Obama said. He pledged to kill 100,000 criminals and dump so many in Manila Bay that the “fish will grow fat” from feeding on them.
