Controversial Rodrigo Duterte branded the president the child of a prostitute in front of journalists a day before their planned meeting in Laos, ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the country.
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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte occupied centre stage on the eve of the summit Monday when he made comments about Obama that included a “son of a bitch” remark.
He was again in the spotlight Tuesday when he trooped into a conference hall in the Laotian capital of Vientiane wearing a traditional Filipino shirt with sleeves rolled up, and hands in pant pockets.
Other leaders to come for an East Asia summit on Thursday include from Australia, India and New Zealand.
Obama arrived in the city of Vientiane late on Monday for the first visit by a sitting US president to Laos, where he wants to begin to address the legacy of USA bombing during the Vietnam War.
“I think the president should be advised on the art of diplomacy and the implications of the strategic importance of approaches to the intricacies of global relations”, said Lauro Baja, the Philippines’ former Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, according to ABS-CBN News.
Obama’s aides had previously said he wanted to discuss the South China Sea issue with Duterte. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims.
5, “plenty will be killed” before the end of his campaign against illegal drugs that has led to the death of about 2,400 people since he became president two months ago.
‘You must be respectful. You just don’t throw question and statements.
If extra-judicial killings did come up at any meeting, Mr Duterte said he would seek to explain the context of the crackdown first.
According to an worldwide news agency, the Filipino leader on Tuesday apologised for his remarks and expressed regret.
Such a conversation, Duterte told reporters, would prompt him to curse at Obama, using a Filipino phrase “putang ina” which can mean “son of a bitch” or “son of a whore”.
Duterte said both sides mutually agreed to postpone the meeting.
The U.S.is one of the Philippines’ largest trading partners and a key security ally in its fight against terrorism in the country’s south. Manila also needs Washington’s help in dealing with a more assertive China in the disputed South China Sea.
Although ASEAN has the power of the ruling behind it, its summit is unlikely to mention it in its final declaration, a reflection of Beijing’s diplomatic clout.
The booklet said that since Duterte took office 7,532 drug operations had been carried out, 12,972 pushers and users had been arrested, and police operations in July reduced crime by 49 percent from a year earlier.
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Under Aquino, the Philippines had forged closer military ties with the United States to deal with the China threat. Many unemployed women took it up for a living.
