Duterte has been in the news because of intemperate remarks he made about President Barack Obama ahead of the summit.
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President Obama on Thursday rebuked Donald TrumpDonald TrumpWATCH LIVE: Clinton holds press conference in NY Donald Trump breathes life into GOP, resurrects Party of Lincoln Scarborough rips Johnson after MSNBC interview MORE’s criticism of his leadership, expressing confidence Americans would oppose the Republican presidential nominee and his “wacky” ideas on Election Day.
Though both leaders had met during the ASEAN Summit here and the G20 Summit at Chinese city of Hangzhou, this was the first one-to-one meeting between them.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit here, their eighth meeting in the last two years.
“I have benefited immensely from our discussions and exchanges, providing me with insights on how best to build upon Lao PDR’s efforts in community building”, Duterte said. “I can’t say how long they met”, Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, travelling with Mr Duterte, told reporters shortly afterwards.
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.
“We have to give him time because he’s used to (being) a local executive – you do what you want, you say what you want”, he said.
“Son of a bitch, I will swear at you at that forum”, he said on Monday, when asked how he would respond to questions about the spate of killings amid his government’s anti-drug campaign.
However Obama cancelled a meeting with Duterte scheduled for Tuesday because of the outburst.
Marciano Paynor, chief Philippine protocol officer and incoming Philippine ambassador to the United States, said Duterte was learning “quick” during the summit, his global debut since becoming president on June 30.
The Republican nominee said Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a better leader than Obama and that US generals have been “reduced to rubble” on the commander-in-chief’s watch.
Nevertheless, Duterte’s office earlier yesterday released a statement saying he would sit next to Obama at the gala dinner.
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The showdown was a fitting climax to a brutal few days of diplomacy that began with the famously acid-tongued Duterte branding Obama a “son of a whore”.
