Obama cancels bilateral talks with Philippines, Duterte apologises

Hangzhou (China):Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, has apologised for his abusive remarks after the United States President Barack Obama cancelled his bilateral meeting with the Philippine government. "President Obama will not be holding a bilateral meeting with President Duterte of the Philippines this afternoon," National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in Washington.

The two Presidents were scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting to discuss the South China Sea issue, on Tuesday, on the sidelines of a Summit of global leaders. The summit was to be hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASAN), in Vientiane.

The case:

• Dutertue had on Monday angrily rejected criticism from the Catholic Church, human rights groups, legislators and the United Nations, over the deaths of about 2,400 people in the country, killed in police anti-drug operations and by suspected vigilantes.
• He had used abusive words for the US Presidents and called hima ‘Son of a Whore’while he was asked, in a press conference, post G-20 summit, to respond on the criticisms from the global leaders including US Barack Obama.
• The Phillipine President said that the people had been killed in a war to eradicate drugs from the nation. “More people will be killed. Plenty will be killed until the last pusher is out of the streets. Until the last drug manufacturer is killed, we will continue and I will continue,” he said to media just before the bilateral meet with Barack Obama.
• Duterte stated, “I don’t give a shit about anybody observing my behaviour.”
• Duterte was elected as the President the nation in May last after a promise to wage an unprecedented war on illegal drugs that would see tens of thousands of suspects killed. According to the official figures that were released, over 2,400 people have been assassinated since Duterte took office on June 30, 2016.

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Duterte had insulted United States President:

• Duterte also used derogatory words for the United States President Barack Obama and called him a'Putang ina' (a tagalong phrase for ‘son of a whore’). I am not bound to answer questions and criticisms of anyone, the leader said and added that he would not take orders from the United States, a former colonial ruler of the Philippines, and did not care about how he was perceived.
• “I do not have any master except the Philipino people, nobody but nobody. You must be respectful. Do not just throw questions. 'Putang ina' I will swear at you in that forum," he stated.
• Duterte also used vulgar remarks for his critics from his own land and said, “There are others who have the mental capacity of dogs who lap at the ass of the Americans.”

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How Obama responded:

• Barack Obama when asked to comment on Duterte’s remarks said that the Philippine President was a colourful man.
• The US President added that he had asked his staff to speak with their Philippine counterparts to 'make sure if he is having a meeting, it is productive and the US gets something out of it'.
• Obama had, however, called the Philippines a close friend and ally of the United States and stated that Duterte is a colourful man.