Personal Attack! Obama calls off meeting with Philippine leader after ‘whore’ jibe
US President Barack Obama has cancelled a meeting with controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who had previously called him a “son of a whore”.
Mr Duterte was responding to the US president’s promise to raise the issue of substance-associated extra-judicial killings in the Philippines at their meeting.
US aides later affirmed Mr Obama would meet the president of South Korea instead.
Mr Duterte has issued a statement saying he regrets that the comment came across as a personal assault.
“While the immediate cause was my powerful opinions to certain press questions that evoked concern and distress, we additionally regret that it came across as a personal assault on the US President,” the statement said.
Both presidents are among leaders gathering for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Laos.
After attending the G20 meeting in Hangzhou, China Mr Obama, who flew to Laos, had been set to raise concerns about human rights abuses in the Philippines.
But speaking in Manila on Monday before he left for Laos, Mr Duterte bristled at the suggestion, saying it was “rude” and cursing the US president.
“Putang ina (son of a whore) I ‘ll curse at you for the reason that forum.”
He added that: “We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you are doing that to me.”
Then he referred to the anti-drugs effort that’s led to the killing of drug dealers and drug users suspected 2,400 in the Philippines since he took office in June.
“The campaign against drugs will continue. Many will die, loads will be killed until the last pusher is from the roads….until the [last] drug manufacturer is killed we will continue.”
Mr Obama initially appeared to play down the abuse saying that he had asked his aides to work out if this is “a time where we can have some constructive, productive dialogs”.
The discussions were later cancelled by his aides.
Mr Obama’s last scheduled trip to Asia as president hasn’t been without event: he was also swept up in a protocol row with hosts China over his coming in Hangzhou.
