The Embassy of the United States in Manila has said there is no scheduled meeting with presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte over his position on the West Philippine Sea dispute with China.
“At this time, no meeting with Mayor Duterte is scheduled,” Kurt Hoyer, press attache at the embassy, told INQUIRER.net in an email.
Saying he was “lukewarm” toward the United States, Duterte on Monday revealed that he received an invitation from the American embassy to discuss his plans on the territorial disputes with China should he win in the May 2016 election.
READ: Duterte gets invitation from US Embassy on his position about disputed sea
“The American embassy would like to talk to me. I want to make this public because I feel lukewarm toward the United States,” Duterte said.
The tough-talking mayor, who has questioned America’s loyalty amid the Philippines’ tension with China, has been vocal about his stance on the sea disputes.
READ: Duterte questions US loyalty amid maritime dispute
Duterte said that he would look for a schedule for the meeting this month and that other candidates might have been invited as well.
“The embassy routinely meets with a full cross section of Philippine society and politics to discuss range of issues of mutual interest,” Hoyer said. RC