Duterte is cutting short Papua New Guinea visit

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte listens to speeches during the ASEAN Plus China Summit in the ongoing 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

President Rodrigo Duterte is cutting short his visit to Papua New Guinea where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings are currently being held.

Duterte was supposed to depart Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Sunday evening.

But Duterte is now set to leave on Saturday evening (11:15 p.m. local time) after the gala dinner. He is expected to arrive in Davao City by early Sunday morning (3:15 a.m.), according to a Palace media advisory.

He will be represented by some Cabinet members for the remaining APEC activities.

On Friday morning, Duterte arrived at the Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea that is hosting the November 17-18 meet. The President went straight to Papua New Guinea from Singapore where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.

The decision to go home a day early came after the President skipped six key Asean meetings in Singapore which, according to the Palace, was done to allow Duterte to take “power naps” after being exhausted in the opening day of the regional summit.

This was not the first time Duterte cut short a visit in a foreign country. Last year, he decided to cut short his visit to Russia after the ISIS-inspired Maute group laid siege in Marawi City.

READ: Update: Duterte cuts short Russia trip, back in PH by 5pm Wednesday

In September, Duterte also decided to go home a day early after his visit in Israel and Jordan. /jpv

READ: Duterte to fly back home from Jordan a day earlier