Duterte regrets blasting Obama

VIENTIANE, Laos: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday expressed regret for referring to President Obama as a “son of a whore” and said his nation seeks closer ties with the US.

Obama canceled a meeting at a regional summit on Tuesday with foul-mouthed Duterte over the issue.
The pair had been due to meet in the Laos capital of Vientiane at a gathering organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an annual event meant to foster harmony but which often highlights regional rows.
This year’s edition was launched with a spectacular fallout between the United States and the Philippines, longtime allies that have seen relations plunge under a barrage of insults from Duterte since he came to office on June 30.
Obama’s aides announced that his planned meeting with Duterte on Tuesday afternoon had been called off following a fresh tirade by the Filipino leader the previous day.
Shortly before flying to Vientiane, Duterte warned he would not be lectured by Obama over a war on drug crime in the Philippines that has claimed nearly 3,000 lives in just over two months — an average of 44 a day.
“You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum,” Duterte told reporters when asked about his message for Obama.
Duterte, who has quickly earned a global reputation for his acid tongue, then used typically colorful language to describe their planned meeting if rights issues came up.
Duterte had previously also sought to taint the reputation of Pope Francis’s mother in similar fashion.
Duterte was elected to office in a landslide this year after pledging to kill 100,000 people in an unprecedented war on crime.