Duterte, Trump first meeting was ‘brief, warm, and cordial’

DA NANG, Vietnam – After months of anticipation, President Duterte finally met on Saturday United States President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the regional summit in Vietnam.

The two world leaders had a brief and cordial encounter while on a break after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic leaders’ first retreat session here.

“It was a brief meeting. I got information from Secretary Bong Go who is the Special Assistant of the President

that although it was short, it was warm and cordial. And President Trump reportedly told President Duterte that he will see him tomorrow,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque told reporters gathered at the International Media Center here.

“That’s because the US President is flying to the Philippines for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit tomorrow,” he added.

Roque said the two leaders, who previously had two phone exchanges, appeared “genuinely pleased to have finally met in person.”

Presidential Assistant Christopher Go also shared to the media a photo of the President in a huddle with Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the APEC Summit.

When asked how the meeting went, Go said: Short lang sabi nila ‘see you tomorrow [It was a short meeting, they said ‘see you tomorrow’].

After attending the APEC Summit here, Trump is scheduled to visit the Philippines this weekend to attend the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.

While on a three-day stay in Manila, the US leader is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Duterte where they are expected to discuss concerns and issues like the tension in the Korean peninsula and the South China Sea.

‘My business’ Duterte, sometimes described as the “Trump of the East” had earlier said he was looking forward to an “interesting” conversation with Trump, citing their similarities.

“Yes, of course because I feel that we share so many ideas along the same line of problems of governance,” Duterte told Manila-based reporters last Thursday night, when asked if he was excited to meet Trump.

“I know that I’d have an interesting time with him,” he said, adding he will offer the US leader a “good handshake.”

The President admitted that he would welcome any US support to combat the drug menace but would ask Trump to “lay off” if he raises the issue of human rights.

“If you want to help, help,” Duterte told the US amid his controversial drug crackdown that claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people.

“If it’s also your problem, then look at it in the aspect of a social problem, then you begin to dig why how many were… how it blossomed into something out of control,” he added.

If the human rights issue is raised by the US leader in their meeting, Duterte said: “Lay off, sir. That’s my business.”

In May, Trump praised Duterte for doing an “unbelievable job on the drug problem.”

Urgent matters On Friday, the President skipped the gala dinner hosted by Vietnam for the visiting APEC leaders due to urgent matters that needed his attention.

Instead, the President sent Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano to represent him at the APEC gala dinner and cultural show held at the Sheraton Da Nang resort.

Cayetano, who was accompanied by his wife Taguig City Mayor LaniCayetano, was spotted explaining the President’s absence during the welcome ceremony given by Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang.

“The President was not able to attend the gala dinner because of two things – he is attending to urgent ASEAN hosting matters, and he is supervising and coordinating safe recovery of Vietnamese captives of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG),” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said.

Among the leaders present during the APEC dinner were US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau.

In last year’s APEC gala dinner in Peru, the Philippine leader also missed the event after supposedly falling ill.

Duterte later on admitted he only wanted to avoid any encounter with then US president Barack Obama, who was critical of his controversial war on drugs. (Genalyn D. Kabiling with a report from Reuters)