Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte crooned a hit Filipino love song at a dinner gala in Manila ahead of an annual summit on Sunday (November 12), at one point taking the microphone to sing “Ikaw” (You), in a duet with local pop diva Pilita Corrales.

One of the song’s verses, translated from Filipino, begins: “You are the light in my world, a half of this heart of mine”.

The United States and its former colony, the Philippines, have been strategic allies since World War Two. But their relations have been strained by anti-US outbursts from Duterte and his enthusiasm for better ties with Russia and China.

On Monday (November 13), Trump said he had a “great relationship” with his Philippine counterpart, while Duterte told the US president that the Philippines is an important ally during their meeting at the sidelines of a summit of East and Southeast Asian leaders in Manila.