Clinton: Obama decision to scrap meeting with Duterte ‘appropriate’

US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said US President Obama made the right decision to cancel his planned bilateral meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, following the latter’s profanity-laced remarks against the world leader.

“When the president of the Philippines insulted our president, it was appropriate and a very low-key way to say: sorry, no meeting,” Clinton told reporters in her campaign plane, as reported by Reuters.

“We have a lot of ties between the United States and the Philippines. And I think it’s very important that we have a relationship, but there has to be a certain level of respect that is expected on both sides,” she added.

Clinton, the Democratic party’s presidential nominee, is Obama’s endorsed candidate.

READ: Duterte affirms ties with US, ‘deep regard’ for Obama—DFA

Before leaving for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Laos, Duterte threatened to throw expletives at Obama should he “lecture” him on human rights and extrajudicial killings at the leaders’ meeting.

This prompted the White House to call off the bilateral meeting between the two, but Malacañang said the decision to postpone the meeting to a later date was mutually agreed upon.

READ: Duterte voices regrets for insult on Obama

Clinton’s rival, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, also aired his comment on Duterte’s profane remarks against the US President.

“China wouldn’t provide a red carpet stairway from Air Force One and then Philippines President calls Obama ‘the son of a whore.’ Terrible!” Trump wrote on Twitter. YG/CDG

READ:  What Donald Trump has to say on Duterte’s remarks vs Obama

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