Trump to raise human rights with Duterte at ASEAN summit

MANILA — US President Donald Trump will send a clear message on human rights when he meets with President Rodrigo Duterte next month, a White House official said.

Trump will be in Manila from November 12 to 13 to attend the special gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and the ASEANUS Summit.

The US president, however, will not be attending the East Asia Summit on November 14 as he will be leaving the night before.

According to a report from Bloomberg, a White House official said that Trump plans on discussing the human rights situation in the Philippines on his forthcoming meeting with Duterte.

Duterte had been receiving criticisms from the international community following the spate of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the conduct of the socalled war on drugs.

The president has not taken criticism, especially from other nations and from international organizations, well and has called these violations of Philippine sovereignty.

Last May, Trump praised Duterte following their phone conversation where they talked about concerns of ASEAN regional security, including tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

“I just wanted to congratulate you because I am hearing of the unbelievable job on the drug problem," Trump told Duterte in their phone conversation.

Duterte can be considered as one of the strongmen that Trump has praised, along with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.