Another controversial remark, another apology. President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his regret for calling US President Barack Obama a “son of a b*tch.”
In a statement, President Duterte says, “While the immediate cause was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the US President. Our primary intention is to chart an independent foreign policy while promoting closer ties with all nations, especially the United States with which we have had a long standing partnership.”
Presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo also adds to this, saying that the US government might have misinterpreted Duterte’s remark against Obama. “Don’t put meaning to that. That’s just his style. It’s just a hyperbole. It’s just an expression. I don’t think it was directed to President Obama,” Salvador says.
The White House recently cancelled the bilateral meeting between Presidents Duterte and Obama after the former reacted (violently, too) on the US’ plan to raise the issue of extra judicial killings when they meet. “Who does he think he is? I am no American puppet. I am the president of a sovereign country and I am not answerable to anyone except the Filipino people. Son of a b*tch, I will swear at you,” President Duterte said last Monday, directing the statement at Pres. Obama.
Meanwhile, Senator Leila De Lima also gave some advice to Duterte. “Our President needs to remember that he is a President, and therefore, whatever he says should be well-thought of because that will become a policy and official statement,” she says.
That sounds like good advice considering that our President is known for his controversial comments. And we do hope President Duterte heeds that despite his ongoing feud with Senator Leila. We wouldn’t want him to keep apologising for every daunting remark he makes to the public, especially when it involves world leaders.
