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Philippine president regrets ‘son of a bitch’ remark

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  • ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, center, arrives at the National Convention Center for scheduled bilateral meetings with ASEAN leaders on the sidelines of the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits and other related summits on Tuesday in Vientiane, Laos.

  • ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with U.S. President Barack Obama in Hangzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, today.

  • ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte boards his limousine upon arrival in Vientiane, Laos to attend the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits and other related summits today in Vientiane, Laos.

  • ASSOCIATED PRESS

    President Barack Obama waves before getting into his motorcade vehicle as he arrives on Air Force One to Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, today.

VIENTIANE, Laos » Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday expressed regret over his “son of a bitch” remark while referring to President Barack Obama.

In a statement read out by his spokesman, Duterte said his “strong comments” to certain questions by a reporter “elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the U.S. president.”

Duterte made the remarks Monday before flying to Laos, where he will attend a regional summit. He had been scheduled to meet Obama separately. But Obama indicated that he was having second thoughts about that meeting.

Duterte said both sides mutually agreed to postpone the meeting.

Even though Duterte’s latest comment does not amount to an apology, the expression of regret is a rare instance when the tough-talking former mayor has expressed contrition for his remarks that often slide into profanity.

“We look forward to ironing out differences arising out of national priorities and perceptions, and working in mutually responsible ways for both countries,” the statement said.

The flap over Duterte’s remarks started when a reporter asked him how he intends to explain the extrajudicial killings of drug dealers to Obama. More than 2,000 suspected drug pushers and users have been killed since Duterte launched a war on drugs after taking office on June 30.

In his typical foul-mouthed style, Duterte responded: “I am a president of a sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony. I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody. You must be respectful. Do not just throw questions. Putang ina I will swear at you in that forum,” he said, using the Tagalog phrase for “son of a bitch.”

Duterte has earlier cursed the pope and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“Who is he (Obama) to confront me?” Duterte said, adding the Philippines had not received an apology from the United States for misdeeds committed during its colonization of the Philippines.

He pointed to the killing of Muslim Moros more than a century ago during a U.S. pacification campaign in the southern Philippines, blaming the wounds of the past as “the reason why (the south) continues to boil” with separatist insurgencies.

Last week, Duterte said he was ready to defend his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs, which has sparked concern from the U.S. and other countries.

Duterte said he would demand that Obama allow him to first explain the context of his crackdown before engaging the U.S. president in a discussion of the deaths.

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        • Duterte is trying to take over the drug business eliminating his competitors. He should be tested for drugs. If it wasn’t for the US the Philippines would be worst off then where they’re now. Trump would drop a bomb on them.

      • agree. Obama is right to question Duterte’s murder of drug gangs. Meanwhile, Duterte fails to put an end to Islamic terrorism in the Philippines. Let these people defend their own country and pay for their own defense.

        • Our PC Obama can’t fix anything in our own Country! I don’t care what Colin Kapernack is for but not standing up for the National Anthem for those that gave their lives for our Freedom is down right nasty. There is a time and place to vent your views but doing that with the NA is just disrespectful. There are a lot of places and time to protest and the playing of the NA is not of them!. Then you got PC Obama being reported by news agency’s he’s sides with Colin, Obama still sticking his nose into things he needn’t do. Divide the Country Obama! that’s your Legacy, everthing else you did for your ego is Failing!

        • Pocho. Go ahead and be an Obama hater. But get your facts right. He didn’t stick his nose into the Kapernick situation. He was asked about it at a press conference and gave an answer. And if you listened to his answer he did NOT say he supported the QB, but rather sad Colin “Was exercising his constitutional right to protest when he sat during the national”. Just as you have a right to post here or anywhere. Doesn’t mean what you post is correct or factual and good intentioned or bad intentioned. It simply means you have the right. And that’s all he said about Colin. Funny thing about Freedom of Speech. It opens the the door to plenty of ignorance, hate and stupidity

        • truth of the matter, allie, is that the US needs the PI bases to do what it believes is necessary for world peace. the US uses blinders in other countries that have the same situation base-wise – why not do the same?

        • Obama has to clean his own back yard before he gives advice with his patented nose in the air demeanor.

        • Kailuaguy, whatever happened to the used saying, “No Comment” if asked about the Colin controversy? Obama always having to stick his nose into where it’s not needed. I’m surprised Obama didn’t say, if I had a son he’d look like Colin. Obama creates more Racial divide then fixing it, hundreds of Black Lives that Matters are shot killed in Chicago. SAD President choosing to play the race card instead of using his clout to Stop the killings of Black Lives that Matter in Chicago

      • If in fact Duterte “serial kills” druggies he is a hero. Because that way much less people will die. Without the small distributors the big drug kingpins would go broke.

        • Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, supot, black headed step child in need of a long trip to the woodshed, a meeting with a strong switch. What a loser.

        • Liberals did…a Community Organizer to supposedly lead America? Why all the disrespect from World Leaders?

        • How true, Obama’s only work history aside from academia was as you indicate, community organizer in Chicago, the most corrupt city in the US.

      • Obama – Showing true leadership. Always classy and likeable, but knows when to be decisive and put his foot down on a lowlife despot.

        Duterte – What were the Philippine people thinking when they voted him in? I know it’s always politically chaotic there, but weren’t there any other candidates available?

        Trump – Would have met Duterte, read a lot of nice things (teleprompter or pre-written speech), then a few hours and many miles later made a macho speech bragging that his penis is bigger than his hands.

        Keonigohan – KKK wannabe. Why don’t you move to the South, East, maybe middle and south west (sincere apologies to the many good people of the South, East, middle and south west). As you can see, there are no KKK chapters in HI and AK. Why are you here. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=18yRw0s2NKncGC3cBJeYcgx08XnQ

    • He’d fix the crime wave in our US inner cities. The Democrats who’ve been running these cities are all hot air and victims still keep on believing in them leaders! You inner city people Get what you Vote fer! lol

    • Haven’t seen Trump supporters going out and killing thousands of people Trump deems undesirables. Love how Obama just calls him “colorful” and essentially discounts Duterte. Hope the whole situation doesn’t devolve into a bloody political purge.

      • As a Never Trump person (I don’t necessarily like Hillary and her MANY careless mistakes, but Trump makes her look like Margaret Thatcher, aka the Iron Lady), I’ll admit that he is no Duterte.

        Trump talks big like this Filipino madman, but just that, talk. When faced with a real international situation as when he made his photo-op trip to Mexico, he suddenly became a 5th grade boy reading a pre-written apology speech. Hours later and back on the safe side of the border, he was all macho and waving his three fingers around.

        Trump’s not dangerous in the Hitler/Putin/Duterte way. He’s just an incompetent salesman (just look up any articles about his business history). The problem is, if a perfect storm allows him to get into the White House for four years, he’ll surround himself with equally incompetent sycophants. That much incompetence is dangerous.

        • I wouldn’t call Art Laffer, Larry Kudlow, Stephen Moore, Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton, Walid Phares, and ret. Gen. Flynn and others dangerous incompetence,but then there are Susan Rice, Eric Holder, Jeh Johnson Hillary Clinton etc.

        • Even if Trump surrounded himself with very competent people, they would all get fired for not agreeing with him or part ways with him because he wouldn’t take their advice and keep putting his foot in his mouth!

  • Two things stand out. One, Obama has earned no respect from Southeast Asia leaders and China. Two, Duterte was duly elected as president by the Filipinos. He has always taken a hard stance against drug dealers and vows to exterminate them. To me, that’s what we need in the U.S.

    • prior to Obama getting elected he’d say he’d sit down and talk with the Iranians and now he threatens not to with our Asian friend? Obama’s has a twisted mind! He can’t even deal with Putin who’s running wild over there!

      • He can’t deal with Russia? How’s the Russian economy going?

        Right.

        Re your apples to oranges comparison of Iran and the Phillipines, re-read the article and note the words Duterte was saying. If President Obama met with him, Duterte would have used the event, and the US would not have had a productive outcome. Apples and oranges.

    • Duterte is no friend of the rule of law with his promotion and support of all the extra-judicial killings by vigilantes and his security forces. Without a functioning justice system, the Phillipines will be led by mob violence, and descend further into political chaos, and deeper into Third World conditions of economic poverty and authoritarianism

      • I would rather see drug dealers and users killed than what is happening to our drug dealers and users here. The so called “non-violent” drug dealers get a slap on the wrist and back on the streets doing the same thing. The drug users especially those that are hooked on ice are coming down with severe health problems like cardiomyopathy and ice induced schizophrenia that is taxing the health care system; beside the health issues, there are usually crime associated with people hooked on drugs…

      • Lol, btaim taking a study break to make a sorta humorous troll post. Funnier is when people take it seriously and overreact. Duterte is a bad guy, and let’s not elect anyone who might commit such atrocities.

        As for Trump, he’s just all talk, not dangerous, per se. But perhaps dangerous in his incompetence and ability to rile up the ignorant. Let’s not elect him either.

  • The pilly peens has always been a 3Rd world country. Alot of them are hard workers, always asking for discount and thrifty, but they don’t have leaders. So sad. The last gift we got was Hep A.

  • Wow … This is a blessing during this election year, for all Americans to see what it would be like to have Trump as our President!

    Trump’s loose talk (like Duterte has shown) would get the United States (our country) into problems that many of us would detest because of the “fool” that he is!

    • Shows us how much faith you have in US laws, under Trump these typed of Crack down wouldn’t be tolerated. You can lie to the American people over and over and people still believe, lol

    • I’m glad if this discourages people from voting for Trump; won’t argue against it.

      But seriously, Trump is not this kind of dangerous. He’s only big talk. See how weak and obedient he became in those few hours on Mexico soil. Then he comes back to the already great America and pops off like a macho man. I bet his already small gonads shrunk a couple of sizes when face to face with the Mexican president.

      • If Trump only talk big and Clinton continues to lie and can’t seem to recall anything, would Trump be a better choice than the one continues to lie and/or can’t remember anything? Hmmmm, something to think about. Let’s not be Grubbered again with more lies, if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor or this is not a tax but the SCOTUS gave its judgement that it was a tax after all.

  • Blatant disrespect in China and Obama tucks his tail between his legs and bows down. But Obama, who talked trash about Duterte when he was a candidate, now threatens to boycott the Philippines when they’re supposed to be one of our allies in the Pacific. The mind boggling Obama doctrine of pushing our allies away, while embracing our enemies as they try to stab you in the back. #OneBigAssMistakeAmerica

  • We are now cold with Israel, Mexico, and the Philippines. For decades an across numerous presidents and across both political parties we were steadfast allies with these nations. Obama has undone decades of foreign relations. China and Russia are now bullying the U.S. Obama put line in the sand in Syria that meant nothing. Then he led the effort to give Iran nuclear capability and giving then $150 BILLION in American taxpayer dollars. What a disappointing foreign policy legacy.

      • Because the world got more dangerous after W destabilized the Middle East, and because the world is a complicated place, everything not going perfectly can be blamed on President Obama?

        So much logical fallacy.

        • O threw gasoline..ethanol free…on the ME and made it worse with all his REDLINE rhetoric and announced WITHDRAWAL DATES. O teminfs me of LBJ…acting as the general….we all know how Vietnam worked out.

        • We got out of Iraq because the duly constituted Iraqi government refused to extend immunity from Iraqi law to military contractors. That was the stumbling block for the joint agreement to extend the SOFA, and when we balked and stepped away we were obligated to remove our troops by the current SOFA’s expiration date. A date agreed upon by all parties during the previous administration.

          Both countries took hard lines and didn’t back down. And from each party’s perspective, their positions were entirely justified. Both took honorable stances and yet (or as a result) no agreement was possible. So it goes … and out we got.

    • I agree, but actually the 150bb is their money that we had locked up since 1979 having to do with military purchases for the Shah. Why all of a sudden it has become necessary to give it to them probably has something to do with the unconditional surrender known as the “Iran Deal.”

  • remember folks…Duterte was elected by the people… Its not our right to say whats right or wrong with other nations problems and how they deal with it.
    most of you don’t realize that WE(USA) is not Godly and don’t have any right to say about it.

  • Obama is creating this distraction to take the focus off his appointed Ex-Secretary of State, Hillary. Notice how he refrained from making comments about the Clinton foundation ? That and angering the fishermen by creating a fish sanctuary – causing fishermen to limit their fishing zone and have to travel further as commercial fishermen to make a living.

    He’s causing more distress, despite his poor foreign relations with Russia, China and now the Philippines. He’s setting up the next president with a messy foreign situation.

    Obama will NOT have a good legacy. Obamacare, poor foreign relations with other countries, US Q1 GDP Growth Revised Up to a dismal 1.1%, not solving issues with his own ‘Black’ community (3400+ murders in Chicago, where he chose to put the Obama library), increased unemployment payouts in the black community due to no job creation (Detroit).

    Why would Blacks keep voting for a party that doesn’t do anything for them ? That’s the meaning of ‘Insanity’. Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results…….

    • Yup, so long as I say I thought you were a drug dealer I can blow your brains out. You want proof of drug dealing, I can shoot you too for questioning me. By the way, I didn’t take your wallet that you are now missing, or your car, or your land.

  • This is what happens when you lead from behind. Ronald Reagan never would have allowed foreign policy to get out of control the way Barry Hussein Sotero has. Perhaps things would have been different if he had been born in the USA and spent his formative years here.

  • “We’re supposed to be equal ! ”
    Duterte is Right! I don’t understand why Obama continues to to fly around the World throwing his weight around. And his Global Warming Initiatives. I mean Really,who cares ? And why? After all, his presidency is winding down and Obama has become so Toxic to a lot of the World leaders,they just don’t care! The respect of the US has greatly diminished under this administration. SAD!
    ie: Recent Visit to China,they completely ignored OBAMA! How you say? First they did not send the airplane stairs to assist with the deboarding process of Air force one and second “The Honorable Red Carpet” treatment? That was missing too! Talk about Pie in the Face. LOL.
    Yes! Though there are still some loyal to his agendas ? & Hoping Hillary will get elected,It’s that Loyalty that just want The Yankee Dollar” nothing more……….

  • No country respect the Philippines now. They will lead Duterte by the nose like a little boy inexperienced in the ways of adults. Philippines will go backwards, not forward, under Duterte. In fact, the economy is already starting a back slide according to economic reports.

  • How can America ally with this Nut? The filipino people will regret electing this man president. Clearly a dictator, he will cling to power and be impossible to remove from office.

    • “How can America ally with this Nut? The filipino people will regret electing this man president. Clearly a dictator, he will cling to power and be impossible to remove from office.”

      The American people finally regrets electing Obama. What’s the difference ?

  • Duterte’s big mouth will be his undoings. He is certainly setting himself up as a victim of an assasination. There are dark forces on a global scale that will be contacted to do him in. Charismatically in negative way like enabled him to be elected. Sounds familiar?

  • “Duterte, who had been scheduled to meet Obama on Tuesday on the summit’s sidelines, has been under intense global scrutiny over the more than 2,000 suspected drug dealers and users killed since he took office.”

    If that’s true, 2,000+ dealers and users gone isn’t such a bad thing.

    “Obama has said he planned to raise the issue in his first meeting with Duterte, but the Philippine leader insisted he was only listening to his own country’s people.”

    A president who listens to “his country’s people” is what the U.S. needs.

    Clearly Duterte isn’t in awe over No-Bama.

  • “His next stop was another one-party communist country with a dismal rights record: Laos, where mysterious disappearances have fueled concerns about a government crackdown.”

    There are many mysterious deaths and disappearances linked to Bill Clinton and his wife.

  • Just watched a movie about WWII. Looks like these people have a short memory. General MacArthur said he would return and the US did to save that country. That big war wasn’t that long ago. Many of us have not forgotten but I guess they did.

  • good choice, smart move on POTUS part. colonial imperialism has to stop somewhere. the US keeps trying to superimpose its socialistic and liberal values (under this presidential regime) upon others. there are many roads to rome! there are many ways to solve a given problem. drugs are a scourge which should be dealt with using whatever method a sovereign country may choose. who are we to say they cannot choose their path? theirs seem to be working! PC, US style, may not always be the best method of achieving results.

  • Obama should listen to Crooked Hilliary, the most corrupt Secretary of State. Slow, careful measured steps. Only she knows how to handle World Leaders. Pretty sad State of Affairs if you ask me. Nobody is taking her or Obama seriously. Name me one.
    I’m taking my chances with Honest Don. Duterte might have a point about Obama’s mother. A lot of people in the 60s were thinking the same. No wonder her son is screwed up.
    Obama has got to go and take Crooked Hilliary with him.

    • PI doesn’t want to bargain, but give Duterte enough money and he’ll sell his Mother to you. Vietnam, on the other hand, realizes that China wants to much and won’t bargain their territory for money. The only power that China is afraid of is the USA that Trump says isn’t great anymore, once PI loses that bargaining chip China won’t have to pay, they’ll just take over by building more airports and bringing in more battleships. All Duterte can do is call them names or paddle over there and swear. Got no aircraft carriers, no fighter jets, no battleships, no Drones without the good old US of A.

    • I may give Duterte an edge over Trump. He may actually have a little brain to engage whereas I know Trump doesn’t have any. Just look at that dead mess on top of his head to know he has no blood circulation up there.

  • What an idiot this guy is. We should cut off aid until he acts in a respectful and responsible manner. How can this man be the leader of any country? Terrible and shame on him.

  • Hypocrisy, why doesn’t Obama ask his friends the Saudis why they kill gay people or Iran? His questioning was truly condescending and Duterte had the right to be offended. I don’t support Duterte’s views but they are not a part of the U.S.

  • Big talk from Duterte. I’m not a fan of Obama but at the same time you never bite the hand that feeds you.

    So lets see, the next time a catastrophic storm hits or when China starts really pushing their weight on the Philippines, who is Duterte gonna run to? How about we also cancel a trade agreement between the US and Philippines that’s worth hundreds of millions?

    Big talk from someone who only was a mayor and now is tasked with running a country. He may know how to deal with drug dealers but he has zero foreign relation skills.

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