Ladies and gentlemen, this is a lesson in diplomacy.
In an interview on Thu, Sep 8, United States President Barack Obama once again addressed the now-infamous incident wherein President Rodrigo Duterte happened to mention his name in hypothetical profanity-laced comments.
READ: Duterte’s words are getting lost in translation and he only has himself to blame
GMA News Online quoted Obama as saying, “As I said when I was asked about this in China, I don’t take these comments personally because it seems that this is a phrase he’s used repeatedly, directed at the Pope and others and so.”
He added, “I think it seems to be just a habit, a way of speaking for him.”
Obama explained that he “doesn’t expect the controversy to affect the relationship of the two countries.”
That said, he confirmed that he interacted with Duterte on Wed night, Sep 7. The two were among the world leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Laos.
“I did shake hands with President Duterte last night. It was not a long interaction. And what I indicated to him is that my team should be meeting with his and determine how we can move forward on a whole range of issues,” he stated.
So, that’s that. Time to move on, folks.
