Duterte meets with New Zealand foreign minister

LIMA, Peru — President Rodrigo Duterte called on New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully Tuesday during his stopover in Auckland on his way back to the Philippines from here. 

 

Duterte arrived in New Zealand Tuesday afternoon (Manila time) for the stopover hours after departing from Peru, where he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.  

 

He spent the night in Auckland and is expected to arrive in Davao City early morning of Thursday, according to Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

 

The New Zealand Herald reported that the meeting between Duterte and McCully at the Philippine president’s hotel lasted for an hour. They reportedly had a “wide-ranging discussion” that included the South China Sea dispute. 

 

It was not clear whether the two talked about Duterte’s controversial war on narcotics, which has left more than 3,000 drug suspects dead. 

 

Some sectors have asked New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to prevent Duterte from stopping over because of the Philippine leader’s alleged human rights violations. Key, however, allowed the stopover, believing it was the right thing to do. 

 

According to The Herald, McCully described Duterte as someone who “doesn't beat around the bush” and who expresses his “firm” views “very colorfully.”

 

“He's (Duterte) a tough guy but he was warm, courteous and actually quite charming,” the paper quoted McCully as saying. 

 

“He's a very engaging character and it's not difficult to discuss sensitive issues with him. He is very happy to engage on those issues,” he added. 

 

Citing an airport source, The Herald said Duterte arrived at the airport “without fanfare.” The paper said the president ordered a “Filipino banquet” to be served in his room. 

 

Duterte and Key met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Laos last September.

 

During the meeting, Key told Duterte that there is an “arguably better” way of dealing with drug suspects than killing them. 

 

“Of course we believe that those who traffic drugs should be held to account, but fundamentally there's a way which would ensure that the innocent are not caught up in this which would be arguably better than what he's doing,” Key was quoted by Radio New Zealand as saying in a report dated September 9. 

 

“He (Duterte) just made the point that he believes he knows how the drugs are coming into the Philippines and why it is happening, and he believes that his track record of being absolutely resolute is something that has worked,” Key added.