“Obama calls off meeting with Philippine leader after ‘whore’ jibe“
6 September 2016
BBC — US President Barack Obama has cancelled a meeting with controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who had earlier called him a “son of a whore”.
Mr Duterte was responding to the US president’s promise to raise the issue of drug-related extra-judicial killings in the Philippines at their meeting.
The Philippine leader, known for his colourful language, has insulted prominent figures before, but this time it has had diplomatic consequences.
He has now said he regrets the remark.
“While the immediate cause was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress, we also regret that it came across as a personal attack on the US president,” a statement by his office said.
In the past, President Duterte has called Pope Francis the “son of a whore”, US Secretary of State John Kerry “crazy” and recently referred to the US ambassador to the Philippines a “gay son of a whore”.
Both he and President Obama are in Laos for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit. […]
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