Duterte at Abe: ‘It is a friendship more than words can describe’
TOKYO – Matapos ang ilang buwan ng mga pormalidad na ipinakita sa kanilang Joint Press Statement, nagkaroon ng mas relaks na sandali sina Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sa kanilang hapunan nitong Lunes ng gabi.
Sa kanyang talumpati sa toast remarks sa hapunan na inihanda ni Abe, itinabi ni Duterte ang nakahandang talumpati para sa isang dahilan.
“I will skip two pages of my prepared speech and go to the last page because I am hungry,” ani Duterte, na ikinatuwa ng audience.
“I am going to change my writer. He is a book author not a speechwriter,” dagdag niya.
Sa kanyang talumpati sa Official Dinner, sinabi ni Abe napahanga siya na umani ng milyun-milyong views ang video ng pagbisita niya sa bahay ni Duterte sa Davao City noong nakaraang taon.
“The video clip featuring my stay in Davao City we put on the Prime Minister’s Facebook account page actually marked over 100 -- 1.3 million access counts, the greatest ever,” ani Abe.
“I had to confess that 90 percent of those who actually saw this web page were actually the all of the Filipino people across the globe, so only the 10 percent account for those of us in Japanese. So I would like to encourage Japanese to pay more attention to my Facebook account,” dagdag niya.
Naniwala si Abe na ang 1.3 million access counts ay testamento ng malalim, maalab, animo’y magkapamilya at magkapatid na pagkakaibigan ng Japan at Pilipinas.
Muling idiniin ng dalawang lider na higit pa sa mga opisyal na pahayag ang kanilang pagkakaibigan.
“It is a friendship that is held dearly and valued so much more than words can describe,” ani Duterte.
“Excellency, I will strive to keep that friendship, amity and cooperation between us, our nations and our peoples going from strength to further strength,” sabi ng Pangulo kay Abe.
Pinasalamatan ni Abe si Duterte sa pagbisita sa Japan sa kabila ng abala nitong schedule bilang Chairman ngayong taon ng Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“So here is a message from me to those distinguished guests: I owe you so much and your dedication is what made possible for us to enjoy today’s wonderful ties between Japan and the Philippines,” ani Abe.
“And taking this opportunity, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and ask for your continuous support as we further develop this special relationship,” dagdag niya.