THE TROUBLE WITH RODRIGO

THE KERFUFFLE

It’s unusual for one president to tell another what to say and much rarer to call the other a “son of a bitch.” Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte managed to do both this weekend just before flying to Laos for a regional summit, warning U.S. President Barack Obama not to challenge him over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

THE BACKSTORY

Duterte has been under intense global scrutiny over the roughly 2,000 suspected drug dealers and users killed since he took office. Obama had said he planned to raise the issue in his first meeting with Duterte, but the Philippine leader insisted he was only listening to his own country’s people.

THE ACTUAL WORDS

“You must be respectful,” Duterte said of Obama. “Do not just throw questions.” Using the Tagalog phrase for “son of a bitch,” he said, “Putang ina, I will swear at you in that forum.” He made the comment to reporters in Manila.

THE REACTION

“Clearly, he’s a colourful guy,”

Obama said. “What I’ve instructed my team to do is talk to their Philippine counterparts to find out is this in fact a time where we can have some constructive, productive conversations.” Obama also said would “undoubtedly” still bring up human rights and due process concerns “if and when” the two do meet.

THE RESULT

Early Tuesday, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the imminent meeting with Duterte was off.

THE HEADACHE

Managing Duterte has become a worsening problem for Obama since the Filipino took office on

June 30, pledging his foreign policy wouldn’t be constricted by reliance on the U.S. Washington has tried largely to look the other way as Duterte has pursued closer relations with China, a marked shift for the Philippines considering recent tensions over Beijing’s aspirations in the South China Sea.’

THE IMPACT

A public break from the Philippines would put Obama in a tough position, given the southeast Asian nation’s status as a longtime U.S. ally. The Obama administration has sought to compartmentalize by arguing that military and other co-operation won’t be jeopardized even if it detests the current Philippine leader’s tone.

THE TRACK RECORD

Last month, Duterte said he didn’t mind Secretary of State John Kerry, but “had a feud with his gay ambassador — son of a bitch, I’m annoyed with that guy.” He applied the same moniker to an Australian missionary who was gangraped and killed, and even to Pope Francis, even though the Philippines is a heavily Catholic nation. He later apologized.