Common ground: Rody, Kerry talk bikes

MANILA, Philippines – A common love for riding motorcycles and hunting promoted bonding when President Duterte and US Secretary of State John Kerry met for the first time yesterday.

The two discussed common interests before moving to sensitive issues such as the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement during Kerry’s courtesy call at Malacañang.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said that Duterte and Kerry reaffirmed the “long-standing relationships between their countries.”

“It was a very interesting lunch because they shared common interests. They talked about motorcycles and hunting. And Mr. Kerry talked about how he had a motorcycle and he had a funny incident regarding that,” Abella said.

If the US employed “ping-pong diplomacy” in 1972 which started talks between the US and China during the Cold War, Kerry used their common love for motorcycles, apparently to get Duterte on the US side.

Since he assumed office on June 30, Duterte had blasted the Americans for importing terrorism in other countries such as Iraq. 

At times, Duterte, however, recognized that the Philippines and the US remain allies in the run-up to the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the West Philippine Sea.

To kick off their conversation, Kerry opened up their love for motorcycles.

Kerry is a known motorcycle rider. When he appeared on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” the former senator rode on to the stage on a borrowed Harley-Davidson, wearing a leather jacket, blue jeans and a denim shirt.

Duterte rides big bikes, including a Harley, around Davao City to check on the peace and order and traffic situations. 

Even when he was a mayor, he was known to join motorcycle groups which tour provinces across the country.

Duterte and Kerry then affirmed the long-standing relationship between the two countries and stated that there are four million Filipinos in the US and at least 500,000 Americans in the Philippines.

Abella said the two also discussed common concerns such as terrorism, crime, drugs, religious fanaticism and maritime security.

“In relation to this, they also mentioned a menu of solutions,” he added.

Leather boots from Marikina

Meanwhile, Duterte showed off to his Cabinet members a pair of custom-made leather shoes sent to him as a gift by a shoemaker from Marikina after the lunch meeting with Kerry.

The President then presided over his first meeting of the National Security Council where they discussed the impact  of the recent ruling of the PCA that found baseless the nine-dash policy of China, which was its basis for claiming portions of the South China Sea.