TRUMP INVITES CONTROVERSIAL FILIPINO LEADER TO WHITE HOUSE
MANILA U.S. President Donald Trump has called Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, pictured, and expressed Washington’s interest in developing “a warm, working relationship,” a Filipino official said Sunday.
Presidential spokesman Ernie Abella said Trump mentioned he was looking forward to visiting the Philippines in November to attend an East Asia summit and that Trump invited Duterte to visit the White House.
Trump’s chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said the friendlier ties are needed even with concerns about Duterte’s human rights record.
“The purpose of this call is all about North Korea,” Priebus said. “It doesn’t mean that human rights don’t matter.”