VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte skipped summit meetings Thursday of Southeast Asian leaders with their USA and Indian counterparts in Laos due to migraine, an official said. The two had been scheduled to hold their first meeting Tuesday but Obama canceled it after Duterte crudely insulted him.
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“I think it was our judgment that given the focus and attention on President Duterte’s comments leading into the meetings here we felt that didn’t create a constructive environment for a bilateral meeting”, Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security advisor told reporters in Laos. “This shows that the relationship between the two allies is strong”.
Since he took office as president on June 30, more than 2,000 people have been gunned down in a crackdown on drug dealers and users that has prompted expressions of concern from the US over extra-judicial killings. His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton also condemned the Filipino president’s comment, saying the White House made the right call in canceling the meeting.
A spokesman for Duterte later expressed remorse that his comments “came across as a personal attack on the US president”.
During a speech earlier, Obama said the US 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.
“I am so very proud that he is the president of the United States of America but he also cares about youth to be the priority to develop the country”, she said.
Duterte has stressed he did not want to pick a fight with Obama, but added, “Nobody but nobody should interfere”.
Second, U.S. -Philippine ties are no sideshow.
Duterte and Obama had been due to meet for talks on the sidelines of a regional summit in Laos.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed regret Tuesday over his “son of a bitch” remark while referring to President Barack Obama, in a rare display of contrition by a politician whose wide arc of profanities has unabashedly targeted world figures including the pope and the United Nations chief.
Mr Yasay said: “I am happy”.
He said it was a mutually agreed meeting, but that he had no details of what was discussed.
He said if the White House had problems with him, it could have sent him a diplomatic note and let him respond. Over 2,000 people have been killed in this crackdown till now.
The two reportedly met in a holding room before attending a dinner at a regional summit.
“We’re incredibly proud of the progress the sector has made over the last five years in terms of the decline in casualties and new victims”, said Channapha Khamvongsa of the nonprofit Legacies of War.
“The media from all over the world, including from the Philippines, are up in excitement as each await the event where the two leaders will possibly say something positive”, the statement from the presidential palace said. That deal awaits ratification in the U.S. Congress, where there is opposition from both parties, but Obama said he planned to do everything possible to persuade lawmakers to approve it before year’s end.
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The meeting was “very warm and friendly”, they said. Alam mo, marami diyan, sa mga kolumnista, they look upon Obama and the United States as if we are the lap dogs of their country.
