I first met Philippine President Rody Duterte at the ASEAN Summit in September (bit.ly/2hRaPSn). Happy that he accepted President Dr Tony Tan’s invitation to make an official visit to Singapore. He told me he was last here 30 years ago, for a court case!
Singapore and the Philippines enjoy a long-standing friendship. We have strong economic ties and warm people-to-people links. There is a lively Filipino community in Singapore and many Filipino tourists come here to enjoy our food and attractions.
At our meeting today, Mr Duterte and I discussed terrorism, the South China Sea and the US role in the region. Look forward to the Philippines’ Chairmanship of ASEAN next year, which will also coincide with the 50th anniversary of founding of ASEAN. – LHL
(MCI Photo by Terence Tan)
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