Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he skipped an evening event at a recent APEC summit to avoid meeting his US counterpart Barack Obama, whom he has targeted with offensive remarks on several occasions.
Duterte was not present at the leaders’ gala or the traditional family photo op during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) session in Lima, Peru, last month. In a speech at the Wallace Business Forum in Manila, Duterte backtracked on his earlier explanation for the absence, and said he didn’t skip the events due to an upset stomach, but rather feigned illness to avoid meeting Obama, the Philippine Star newspaper reported. – READ MORE