Duterte skips Apec summit dinner after ‘nap-gate’

PORT MORESBY: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte passed on a gala dinner at a regional summit in Papua New Guinea, days after skipping key meetings in another gathering of world leaders for a “power nap”.

Duterte, who has a well-known disdain for stiff diplomatic gatherings, was a no-show on Saturday night, sending his trade minister instead to pose with heads of state donning bright yellow and red Papua New Guinean shirts.

His office had initially announced that the mercurial leader was cutting short his trip to Port Moresby even before the main meetings began but yesterday he did show up at the convention centre.

“This after I loudly and naggingly insisted he stay just one day. ONE DAY, I stressed,” Philippine foreign minister Teodoro Locsin tweeted.

The absence of the 73-year-old Duterte at diplomatic gatherings has sparked criticism and speculation of ill health, which his spokesman denied, saying the president merely lacked sleep.

On Wednesday, the Philippine leader missed four of the 11 meetings he was slated to attend and a gala dinner in Singapore.

Observers have compared him unfavourably with Malaysia’s 93-year-old Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has consistently attended summit meetings saying it was his “duty” to do so.

Commenting on his absence, Duterte said on Thursday: “What’s wrong with my nap?“

About the Papua New Guinea dinner, a Philippine official said Duterte “feels constrained by formalities and finds them unproductive and a slight waste of time”. — AFP