
President Barack Obama called off a planned
meeting Tuesday with new Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte, because he didn't want Obama
to ask him questions about his directive for
civilians to kill drug dealers in the Philippines.
It's unusual for one president to tell another
what to say or not say, and much rarer to call
the other a "son of a bitch."
Before Duterte flew to Laos for a regional
summit he warned Obama not to challenge him
over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
Obama responded by saying:
"Clearly, he's a colorful guy." "What I've
instructed my team to do is talk to their
Philippine counterparts to find out is this
in fact a time where we can have some
constructive, productive conversations."
Duterte has been under global scrutiny over the
more than 2,000 suspected drug dealers and
users killed since he took office. Obama had
said he planned to raise the issue in his first
meeting with Duterte, but the Philippine leader
insisted he was only going to listen to his own
countrymen.
Duterte said of Obama as he talked to reporters
in Manilla:
"You must be respectful." "Do not just
throw questions." Using the Tagalog
phrase for "son of a bitch," he said,
"Putang ina I will swear at you in that
forum."
Last month, Duterte said he didn't mind
Secretary of State John Kerry but "had a feud
with his gay ambassador - son of a bitch, I'm
annoyed with that guy." He said.
Early Tuesday, National Security Council
spokesman Ned Price said the meeting with
Duterte was canceled.
Source: AP
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