Obama cancels meeting with Duterte

From InterAksyon (Sep 6): Obama cancels meeting with Duterte

(UPDATE 5 - 12:24 P.M.) United States President Barack Obama has cancelled his meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, the White House announced hours after the latter issued a bristling statement that he would not stand for being lectured on human rights issues.

"President Obama will not be holding a bilateral meeting with President Duterte of the Philippines this afternoon," National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said. 


"Instead, he will meet with President Park (Geun-hye) of the Republic of Korea this afternoon."

The acid-tongued Duterte bristled at warnings he would face questioning by the US president over a war against drugs in the Philippines that has claimed more than 2,400 lives in just over two months.

"You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum," Duterte told a news conference shortly before flying to Laos to attend a summit.

"We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me."

The pair had been due to hold a bilateral meeting late Tuesday on the sidelines of a gathering of global leaders hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Vientiane, the Laotian capital.

The focus was meant to be on the surprising spat between the two longtime allies that have seen relations plunge under a barrage of foul-mouthed insults from Duterte since he came to office on June 30.

Duterte has previously also branded the US ambassador to Manila a "son of a whore" -- a term the acid-tongued former prosecutor commonly uses -- and criticised the US over its own track record of police killings.

Before flying to Laos Monday, Duterte said in part, The Philippines is not a vassal state. We have long ceased to be a colony of the United States." He made it clear,  "I do not want to pick a quarrel with Obama, but certainly I would not want to be beholden to anybody...I am only accountable to the Filipino people who elected me."

CLICK HERE FOR NEWS5 VIDEO REPORT ON DUTERTE'S DEPARTURE SPEECH.

'Not a big loss'

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the cancellation was "not a big loss" and lauded Duterte's broadside at Obama as "the first time in forever" a Philippine president "has the backbone to reject US intervention."

Bayan said the cancelled meeting would have been used by the US to "to feign concern for human rights and then arm-twist the Philippines regarding the US imperialist agenda in the country and the West PH Sea. The meeting was more for US neo-colonial interests than anything else."

At the same time, the leftist group said Duterte should press his assertion of sovereignty and scrap "unequal agreements" such as the Visiting Forces Agreement and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement" and an end to "master-puppet relations" with the US.

"We stand with Duterte is asserting PH sovereignty against any form of neo-colonial imposition and intervention," the group said. "Duterte can promote our interests in the West PH Sea vs China without having to rely on the US, who is only after its own agenda. The Philippines can deal with the Davao terrorist bombers without having to rely on more US intervention in Mindanao."

Kabayan party-list Representative Harry Roque, for his part, supported what he called "Duterte’s espousal (of) an independent foreign policy" but worried that his "undiplomatic language may unnecessarily cause diplomatic wrinkles, much like the cancellation of his bilateral talks with President Obama."

"An independent foreign policy need not result in the disturbance of friendly relations with our traditional allies," Roque pointed out. "To achieve this, tact, not firebrand rhetoric, is key."

Roque also urged Duterte not to be too averse to questions about human rights, saying these "must be welcomed if we are to take the path of stopping the environment of impunity now prevailing."

Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago hailed Duterte’s “strong statements against US meddling in Philippine affairs, particularly his assertion that his administration will not be beholden to the world superpower, an astonishing breakaway from past Philippine presidents who all kowtowed unabashedly to whoever’s sitting in the Oval Office.”

But, at the same time, she said: “Words are just words, Mr. President.”

“The real litmus test for this administration to prove its nationalist and independent stance is to implement an independent foreign policy that will truly break the Philippines’ decades-long subservience to the US.”

She proposed that Duterte move for a review of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and the Visiting Forces Agreement.

“This is the moment for the president to finally act with a firm sense of nationalism, to rise to the moment and concretely break the shackles of US subservience,” Elago said.

Crucial time

The setback in relations between the United States and the Philippines comes at a crucial time in the region, with China seeking to cement control over the contested South China Sea.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have competing claims to the strategically vital waters, but have watched China expand its presence by building artificial islands in key locations.

An international tribunal ruled in July that Beijing's claims to the waters -- through which $5 trillion in global shipping trade passes -- had no legal basis.

The ruling was widely seen as a sweeping victory for the Philippines, which filed the suit under the previous administration of Benigno Aquino III.

But China has vowed to ignore the tribunal's decision.

Obama's aides had previously said he wanted to discuss the South China Sea issue with Duterte.

Under Aquino, the Philippines had forged closer military ties with the United States to deal with the China threat. But Duterte has cast doubt on that strategy.

He has also sought to heal relations with China rather than inflame them by pressing the tribunal's ruling.

Nevertheless, the South China Sea issue is expected to once again be discussed at the three days of meetings hosted by ASEAN.

The gathering will see the 10 members of ASEAN meet among themselves, then with leaders from China, Japan, South Korea and the US.

Other leaders to come for an East Asia summit on Thursday include from Australia, India and New Zealand.

Obama's time in Laos will be the final trip to Asia of his eight-year presidency, during which he has sought to refocus American military, political and economic resources on the region.

In one of the last acts of his so-called "pivot" to Asia, Obama is expected to announce greater help in clearing bombs dropped by US forces on Laos during the Vietnam War.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/132152/obama-cancels-meeting-with-duterte