Obama, Duterte speak briefly

The Philippine Foreign Ministry says President Rodrigo Duterte exchanged words briefly with his US counterpart Barack Obama, following a cancellation of their meeting. A ministry spokesperson said the short conversation took place before a dinner party on Wednesday evening. They are participating in the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The 2 leaders had been scheduled to have talks on Tuesday for the first time since Duterte took office. Obama had planned to bring up the Philippines’ anti-drug campaign that led to the death of a large number of suspects. Duterte reacted by using harsh words in front of reporters to describe Obama. The US later cancelled the meeting. Duterte expressed regret, saying his words led to the cancellation. Source and image: NHK Share this:TweetEmail