“We have also shared the same worries about narcotic distribution and its implications on our communities”, Duterte said.
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“The latest incident raises concern that President Duterte’s unpredictable behavior in politics will be disruptive and could eventually spill into economics and business”, said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist for the Philippines’ largest lender, BDO Unibank.
While Duterte later said that he “regretted” that his comments came across as a personal attack, he slammed the United States for its atrocities against Filipinos back when the Philippines was still under USA colonial rule.
“It can happen because (the illegal drugs problem) in Indonesia is as bad as in the Philippines”, Waseso said.
After the summit, Duterte blamed media for distorting his statement.
Obama earlier canceled a meeting with Duterte after the Philippine leader referred to him in comments to reporters as a “son of a bitch” and warned him not to discuss the deaths of thousands of suspects in an anti-drug campaign.
Mr Duterte said the ties that bind their two countries are “long and enduring”, and that “Indonesia is not only a friend but (also) a brother” to the Philippines.
He said he thinks this was “the most telling words” that he uttered in the just concluded summit of leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN dialogue partners in Vientiane, Laos. I said I never made the statement.
Duterte had his outburst on Monday when he was defending his war on drugs that has killed at least 2,400 Filipinos. Mr Obama said he had told Mr Duterte that their aides should confer on how to move forward, adding that the spat would have no effect on the close cooperation between the longtime treaty allies. I was waiting for Obama to respond. “After all, I am not the player of the worldwide community”, he said. “This is the fault of the insane people in the State Department”, he said. “But she was so lovely, the mayor should have been first”, Duterte said referring to himself.
Mr. Duterte has also repeatedly promised to protect police from prosecution if they are charged over the deaths and insisted human rights can not get in the way of his war.
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The Philippines and the United States also subtly differed in their opinions on how to proceed regarding the UN-backed global tribunal ruling in July that rejected China’s vast territorial claims in the South China Sea.
