Duterte invites Trump to PHL

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 3): Duterte invites Trump to PHL

President Rodrigo Duterte made a congratulatory phone call to US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, Dec. 2.

In a message, the President said that the conversation could signal an improvement of ties between the US and the Philippines.

President Duterte said Mr. Trump extended his warm greetings to the Filipino people during their conversation. “And he wishes to extend his warmest regards to the Filipino people. And in just a few minutes, we were talking a lot of things,” the President revealed.

The President said he could sense a good rapport with an animated President-elect Trump.

According to the President, Trump expressed support for the Philippine’s anti-drug campaign. “He understood the way we are handling it and I said that there’s nothing wrong in protecting a country. It was a bit very encouraging in the sense that I supposed that what he really wanted to say was that we would be the last to interfere in the affairs of your own country,” Duterte said.

Duterte said he wished Trump success. “He will be a good President for the United States of America. I am very sure,” he said.

Duterte said Trump also extended an invitation for him to visit New York and Washington DC. “He said that if I’m around, he wants to be notified of my presence,” he said.

In return, Duterte invited Trump to attend the 2017 Asean Summit in the Philippines.

“And I mentioned to him about the ASEAN Summit next year and he said that he will try his best to be here. He wants to attend the Summit and that would be great for our country,” the President reported.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=945508