Duterte may be too busy to visit Trump in White House
MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte is still unsure if he would accept US President Donald Trump’s invitation to the White House, saying he is “tied up” because of his other planned trips abroad.
"No, because I’m tied up. I cannot make any definite promise,” the president told reporters Monday in Davao City when asked if he has accepted Trump’s invitation.
Duterte noted that he still has trips to Russia and Israel scheduled.
The Philippine leader is also expected to go to Cambodia to attend the World Economic Forum and to China to participate in the One Belt, One Road Summit. He is also scheduled to visit Russia in the last week of May to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The president has said in the past that he dislikes taking long flights.
When asked whether his recent statements on Trump go against his decision to distance himself from the US, Duterte said: “Nothing of the sort, actually. It was not a distancing but it was rather a rift between me maybe and the State Department and (former US president) Mr. (Barack) Obama, who spoke openly against me.”
Obama did not, in fact, speak against Duterte. Obama told reporters in Laos last September that he urged Duterte to go about the war on drugs the right way. Obama said that he told Duterte that "the consequences of when you do it the wrong way are innocent people get hurt and you have a bunch of unintended consequences that don’t solve the problem."
President Duterte, however, has said that Obama can "go to hell."
“Things have changed, the new leadership wants to make friends. Well, things have changed, because the new leadership, he (Trump) wants to make friends and he says that we are friends. So, why do you have to pick a fight?” he added.
On Saturday, Trump called Duterte to discuss regional issues including the threat posed by North Korea. Trump also invited Duterte to visit the White House in a conversation that officials have described as “friendly” and “warm.”
Duterte previously compared himself to Trump, whom he described as a “realist” and a “pragmatic thinker.”
He has also expressed optimism that he would be able to get along well with the American president.
Source:Philippine Star
"No, because I’m tied up. I cannot make any definite promise,” the president told reporters Monday in Davao City when asked if he has accepted Trump’s invitation.
Duterte noted that he still has trips to Russia and Israel scheduled.
The Philippine leader is also expected to go to Cambodia to attend the World Economic Forum and to China to participate in the One Belt, One Road Summit. He is also scheduled to visit Russia in the last week of May to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The president has said in the past that he dislikes taking long flights.
When asked whether his recent statements on Trump go against his decision to distance himself from the US, Duterte said: “Nothing of the sort, actually. It was not a distancing but it was rather a rift between me maybe and the State Department and (former US president) Mr. (Barack) Obama, who spoke openly against me.”
Obama did not, in fact, speak against Duterte. Obama told reporters in Laos last September that he urged Duterte to go about the war on drugs the right way. Obama said that he told Duterte that "the consequences of when you do it the wrong way are innocent people get hurt and you have a bunch of unintended consequences that don’t solve the problem."
President Duterte, however, has said that Obama can "go to hell."
“Things have changed, the new leadership wants to make friends. Well, things have changed, because the new leadership, he (Trump) wants to make friends and he says that we are friends. So, why do you have to pick a fight?” he added.
On Saturday, Trump called Duterte to discuss regional issues including the threat posed by North Korea. Trump also invited Duterte to visit the White House in a conversation that officials have described as “friendly” and “warm.”
Duterte previously compared himself to Trump, whom he described as a “realist” and a “pragmatic thinker.”
He has also expressed optimism that he would be able to get along well with the American president.
Source:Philippine Star
