Duterte skips gala, defends absences at Asean meetings
PORT MORESBY Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte passed on a gala dinner at the Apec summit in Papua New Guinea, days after skipping key meetings in another gathering of world leaders for a "power nap".
Mr Duterte, who has a well known disdain for stiff diplomatic gatherings, was a no-show on Saturday night, sending his Trade Minister instead to pose with heads of state.
His office initially announced Mr Duterte was cutting short his trip to Port Moresby even before the main meetings began, but yesterday he did show up at the convention centre.
"This after I loudly and naggingly insisted he stay just one day. ONE DAY, I stressed," Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin tweeted yesterday.
The absence of Mr Duterte, 73, at diplomatic gatherings has sparked criticism and speculation of ill health, which his spokesman denied, saying he merely lacked sleep.
Mr Duterte has said previously that he suffers from daily migraines and ailments including Buerger's disease, an illness that affects the veins and the arteries of the limbs, and is usually due to smoking.
Last Wednesday, he missed four of the 11 meetings he was to attend and a gala dinner in Singapore, which hosted a meeting of South-east Asian leaders.
Observers have compared him unfavourably with Malaysia's 93-year-old prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who consistently attended summit meetings saying it was his "duty" to do so.
On his absence, Mr Duterte said last Thursday: "What's wrong with my nap?"
Asked about the Papua New Guinea dinner, a Philippine official told AFP that Mr Duterte "feels constrained by formalities and finds them unproductive and a slight waste of time".
After hosting a regional meeting in the Philippines last year, an exhausted Duterte joked about cancelling another Manila summit saying: "It's true. It's all the same. Nothing changes."
In Port Moresby, Mr Duterte met Filipinos last Friday where he sought to explain his absence from summit meetings.
He described an invitation from Australia to have an "informal breakfast" in Singapore.
"I told my soldiers why would I attend when first of all, I do not eat breakfast. Second, it was informal," he said.
"What will they feed us there, kangaroo?"- AFP
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
