HANGZHOU, China – President Obama is shrugging off a rude remark from his Philippine counterpart, but the outburst from Rodrigo Duterte could derail a scheduled meeting between the two leaders this week.
Duterte threatened to curse out the U.S. commander in chief if Obama brings up the extrajudicial killings by Philippine authorities in a sweeping crackdown on drug trafficking. Speaking to reporters, Duterte, who took office in June, said the Philippines is a “sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony,” according to the Associated Press.
He added that: “I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody. You must be respectful. Do not just throw questions. ‘Putang ina’ I will swear at you in that forum.” That is the Tagalog phrase for “son of a bitch.”
Asked to respond during a news conference after the Group of 20 Summit in China, Obama said he had been told of Duterte’s comments, but the U.S. president shrugged it off as another in a line of “colorful statements” from Duterte.
“Clearly, he’s a colorful guy,” Obama said. The president added that he had asked his staff to speak with their Philippine counterparts to “make sure if I’m having a meeting, it’s productive and we’re getting something done.” Obama called the Philippines a close “friend and ally” of the United States.
More than 2,000 suspected drug dealers have been killed since Duterte took office, and Obama said he would not shy away from the topic of “international norms” when it comes to due process rights when speaking with Duterte. They are scheduled to meet during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Laos this week.
“We recognize the significant burden the drug trade plays in the Philippines and around the world,” Obama said. But “we will always assert the need to have due process and engage the fight against drugs in a way that is consistent with basic international norms. Undoubtedly, if and when we have a meeting, this is going to be something that’s brought up. My expectation, my hope, is that it could be dealt with constructively.”
He suggested, however, that the meeting was predicated on whether Duterte was willing to have a serious conversation.
“I’m just going to make an assessment,” Obama said.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post ยท William Wan, David Nakamura
