President Rodrigo Duterte. AP
President Rodrigo Duterte will push through with his trip to Brunei and meeting with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, who is rumored to be one of his campaign financiers.
Mr. Duterte will leave for Brunei from Davao International Airport on Sunday at 3 p.m. But Malacañang has prepared an alternative flight for the President to depart earlier at 10:40 a.m., depending on weather conditions.
The President will hold bilateral talks with Bolkiah and meet with the 23,000-strong Filipino community at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex indoor stadium during his visit. The President will depart from Brunei to China on Oct. 18.
Brunei was supposed to be the first foreign destination of the President on Sept. 4 but he was forced to cancel it due to the Davao City bombing on Sept. 2 which prompted his declaration of a state of lawlessness all over the country.
READ: Duterte cancels Brunei trip after Davao blast
Two of the President’s top campaign contributors, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Bienvenido Tan III, are personal asset managers of Bolkiah’s investments in the Philippines.
In a previous speech, Mr. Duterte said he would rather kneel before the king of Brunei or Thailand than the Americans.
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