Japan's PM excited to meet Duterte after Obama meeting cancelled

After calling US President a 'son of a bitch', Japan's PM declares 'You're famous in my country' & 'I'm excited to meet you'.

DIPLOMACY

Duterte calls Obama 'son of a bitch', meeting cancelled

6/09/2016
Associated Press

Etiquette and manners in everyday life consists of saying 'please' and 'thank you' and showing consideration for others. 

When heads of state meet they engage in acts of "diplomacy" and extreme care is taken to maintain high levels of etiquette.

In fact, the word "diplomacy" also means "the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way."

SPEAKING PRESIDENT TO PRESIDENT: EMOTIONAL OUTBURST VS. DIPLOMACY

It's unusual for one president to tell another what to say or not to say.

It is much rarer to call the other president a "son of a bitch."

Newly elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte managed to do both just before flying to Laos for a regional summit.

He warned US President Barack Obama not to challenge him over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

"Clearly, he's a colourful guy," President Obama said.

"President Putin's less colourful," Obama said, comparing him with Duterte.

"What I've instructed my team to do is talk to their Philippine counterparts to find out is this in fact a time where we can have some constructive, productive conversations."

Early Tuesday, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the meeting with Duterte was off.

President Duterte later regretted his angry words and what happened could be described as a "diplomatic blunder".

What happened might also be described as an "emotional outburst" that doctors typically prescribe "anger management" as a treatment for, at least in western countries such the US and EU (see here).

JAPAN'S ABE: 'YOU'RE QUITE FAMOUS IN JAPAN'

Japan's Prime Minister Abe did meet with President Duterte and was a model of diplomacy.

One cornerstone of etiquette and manners is the compliment and Abe excels in the art of the compliment.

"President Duterte, I would like to congratulate you on assuming the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines," Abe said through an interpreter. 

"Mr President is quite a famous figure also in Japan, and I am very excited to see you in person."

Besides being a compliment, Abe's words also acted as humour that relieved the stress of Duterte's earlier diplomatic blunder with Obama.

INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE OVER EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLING SPREE 

Duterte has been under intense global scrutiny over the more than 2,000 suspected drug dealers and drug users killed since he took office.

Obama had said he planned to raise the issue in his first meeting with Duterte, but the Philippine leader insisted he was only listening to his own country's people.

"You must be respectful," Duterte said of Obama.

"Do not just throw questions."

Using the Tagalog phrase for "son of a bitch," he said, "Putang ina I will swear at you in that forum."

He made the comment in a televised news conference in southern Davao City.

Eager to show he wouldn't yield, Obama said he would "undoubtedly" still bring up human rights and due process of law concerns "if and when" the two do meet.

PROBLEMS IN US-PHILIPPINE RELATIONS

Managing Duterte has become a worsening headache for Obama since the Filipino took office on June 30.

After Duterte pledged his foreign policy wouldn't be constricted by reliance on the US, Washington has tried largely to look the other way as Duterte has pursued closer relations with China, a marked shift for the Philippines considering recent tensions over Beijing's aspirations in the South China Sea.

A public break from the Philippines would put Obama in a tough position, given the Southeast Asian nation's status as a longtime US ally.

The Obama administration has sought to compartmentalise the issue by arguing that military and other cooperation won't be jeopardised even if it detests the current Philippine leader's tone.

US AMBASSADOR, AUSTRALIAN MISSIONARY & THE POPE ALSO SUBJECT TO HIS FURY

Last month, Duterte said he didn't mind Secretary of State John Kerry but "had a feud with his gay ambassador - son of a bitch, I'm annoyed with that guy." 

He applied the same moniker to an Australian missionary who was gang-raped and killed, and even to Pope Francis, even though the Philippines is a heavily Catholic nation. He later apologised.

With a reputation as a tough-on-crime former , Duterte has alarmed human rights groups with his deadly campaign against drugs, which Duterte has described as a harsh war. He has said the battle doesn't amount to genocide but has vowed to go to jail if needed to defend police and military members carrying out his orders.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/1079560/duterte-unloads-on-obama

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/asia-pacific/145376-bilateral-meeting-ph-duterte-japan-abe-asean

http://www.rappler.com/nation/145337-transcript-duterte-obama-human-rights

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