‘Duterte’ a tongue twister for Trump
President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Donald Trump share a light moment prior to the bilateral meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on November 13, 2017. Robinson Niñal Jr./Presidential Photo
WASHINGTON – “Rodrigo” must be easier on the tongue.
US President Donald Trump, who had said he considered “Rodrigo” – referring to President Duterte – “a good guy,” called the Philippine leader “President Duarte” upon returning here.
In a televised address on Wednesday on his recent five-nation trip to Asia, Trump spoke for nearly 25 minutes but devoted less than a minute of it to his meeting with Duterte.
Trump said “President Duarte of the Philippines thanked the American people and our armed forces for supporting the recent liberation of Marawi from ISIS. We pledged to strengthen and deepen our long-standing alliance.”
Duarte is a popular name in Latin America and there had been at least two President Duartes in recent past – in Paraguay and El Salvador.
The gaffe didn’t offend the President, Malacañang said.
“No slight taken, you know. I think that’s another commonality between the two presidents, they’ve made mistakes in names,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing.
In a transcript of his talk with reporters on Air Force One as he was returning to Washington from Manila, Trump described the Philippines as “an unbelievably important military location.”
“If you speak to the admirals and you speak to the generals, that’s a perfect spot,” he said.
He said after a long period of decline in the relationship between both countries, “now we have a very good relationship there. We’re back with the Philippines. So strategically we have a very important location – maybe the most important strategic location in that area.”
Trump said his goal in his visits to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines was to gain support for the denuclearization of North Korea, strengthen military alliances with US allies and promote free and reciprocal trade practices.
“Everywhere we went, our foreign hosts greeted the American delegation and myself included with incredible warmth and hospitality and most importantly respect,” he said. – Alexis Romero
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