Duterte back from Brunei

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday returned from a "productive" visit to Brunei that underscored the two countries' friendship, Malacañang said.

Duterte on Thursday evening left for an overnight visit to Brunei to attend the 50th anniversary of accession to the throne of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte thanked Bolkiah for his "principled" commitment to the "pursuit of just and lasting peace and development" in Mindanao, Duterte's home region.

To recall, the Sultanate had recently promised to help in developing Mindanao, which is one of the focus areas of the ASEAN subregional grouping of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

"The President looks forward to further broaden and deepen bilateral cooperation with Brunei Darussalam, as well as to advancing efforts toward a more peaceful, prosperous and progressive ASEAN," Abella said. "The celebrations were a fitting tribute to a beloved leader who made amity and cooperation a cornerstone of secure and stable relations between nations in Southeast Asia and beyond," he added.

The 71-year-old Bolkiah is one of the world's longest reigning absolute monarchs and one of the richest individuals in the world. In 2008, the sultan posted a net worth of $20 billion, a wealth based on Brunei's oil and gas reserves, according to Forbes magazine.

Duterte first visited Brunei in October last year. Brunei was supposed to be the first country to be visited by him as president but he was forced to cancel his trip in September 2016 because of the Davao blast.

Amid mounting criticisms at home and abroad for his bloody drug war, Duterte might have found an ally in Bolkiah, who vowed, during Manila trip lastApril, to help eradicate drug trafficking.

The April visit of Bolkiah, a leader known for pushing tough Shariah penalties such as amputation for theft and stoning for adultery, was the first state visit under the Duterte administration. Philippine exports to Brunei amounted to $85 million in 2014, data from the embassy show. —

(PPD PHOTO VIA PHILSTAR.COM) President Rodrigo Duterte breaks bread with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and wife Pengian Anak Saleha in the banquet during the golden jubilee celebration of the Sultan's accession to the throne at the Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei Darussalam on Oct. 6.