President Duterte, apparently under the weather, was forced to skip two important meetings with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit dialogue partners during the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits being held here this week.

President Duterte first failed to attend the ASEAN-India Summit. Instead, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. was designated to lead the Philippine delegation to the meeting that was convened in 2002 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The President also did not show up at the ASEAN-United States Summit. Again, it was Secretary Yasay who was tasked to represent Duterte as the head of the Philippine delegation.

The President was also unable to take part in the second joint photo session of ASEAN leaders and dialogue partners which was scheduled after the ASEAN-India meeting. Yasay stood as Duterte’s alternate in the photo session.

Sources told the Manila Bulletin that President Duterte was “not feeling well.”

Still, the President is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with Russia and New Zealand before flying to Indonesia for a working visit.

Malacañang officials already confirmed that Duterte will attend the closing ceremony of the Summit later this afternoon.

Last Wednesday, Duterte missed his attendance at the ASEAN-United Nations Summit because it was in conflict with his scheduled courtesy call on Lao President Bounnhang Vorachith at the Presidential Palace.

STRONG PH-US TIES

Also last Wednesday, President Barack Obama and President Duterte met informally in a holding room before attending a gala dinner, Philippine officials said.

The brief meeting took a little sting out of the soured relations caused by Duterte’s intemperate language in referring to Obama earlier this week. That had caused Obama to cancel a formal meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told The Associated Press that the leaders had met.

“They met at the holding room and they were the last persons to leave the holding room. I can’t say how long they met. It all springs from the fact the relationship between the Philippines and the United States is firm, very strong. The basis for this relationship is historical and both leaders realize this. And I’m very happy that it happened.”

Obama and Duterte are in the Laotian capital along with other regional leaders for the summit. All of them made their way through the holding room before heading to the banquet hall.

Obama had a brief discussion with Duterte before the ASEAN gala dinner in the leaders’ holding space. The exchange consisted of pleasantries between the two, said a White House official who would not be named.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Roy Mabasa

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