The news of Obama and Duterte’s meeting was first reported by the Associated Press, which also said it did not have official confirmation of the sideline meeting from the White House.
Obama and Duterte were originally scheduled to hold an official meeting while the two attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Laos. That was canceled, though, when Duterte launched a foul-mouthed warning at Obama to be respectful and refrain from asking about the more than 2,000 extrajudicial killings reported in the Philippines or else “son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum.”
Before announcing the cancellation, Obama said of Duterte, "Clearly, he`s a colorful guy.” With a spot suddenly free on his calendar, Obama opted instead to meet with another close U.S. ally, South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
Obama reportedly meets with Philippine president
08 September 2016
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After canceling their official meeting over Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s expletive-laden rant directed at President Barack Obama, the Philippine foreign secretary said the two men wound up meeting after all, albeit informally at a summit in Laos.
