Duterte, Trump discussed cooperation vs COVID-19 in call, Palace says
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Donald Trump talked about working together to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic during a phone conversation Sunday night, Malacañang said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the US-initiated phone call came at 10:10 p.m. and lasted for 18 minutes. He could not provide details.
"It was cordial. It was about collaboration, bilateral coordination (on) COVID-19. But beyond that I have no authority to divulge further details," Roque said at a press briefing on Monday.
"The only authority I got from the President is to say that it was about cooperation, that the Philippines and the US may cooperate on the COVID-19," he added.
Roque said he could not make public notes and transcripts of the conversation, noting that diplomatic communication is not covered by freedom of information.
The phone call came as traditional allies the Philippines and the US are wrestling with rising cases of COVID-19, a fast-spreading disease that originated in China and has infected 2.3 million people worldwide.
The US has the highest number of COVID-19 cases worldwide with more than 746,000 infections and about 41,000 deaths. The Philippines, meanwhile, is third in Southeast Asia in terms of the number of infections with more than 6,200 cases and more than 400 fatalities.
Earlier this month, Duterte chided the US for supposedly recruiting Filipino nurses while the Philippines is in the middle of its fight against COVID-19.
"America is part of the problem of the Filipinos now. Many of them have been infected. Many have died. They are calling on just about anyone...they ask nurses to go to the embassy, they will process the visa for one day and tomorrow you can leave," the Philippine leader said in a public address last April 13.
"The problem with Americans, you could have relied on your own human resource... Now you are reducing the human resources of the Philippines. Soon, we will experience a shortage," he added.
Duterte was reacting to the outcry over a government ban on the deployment of Filipino health workers while the Philippines is under a national state of emergency because of COVID-19.
The government has allowed health workers with signed employment contracts to leave. Roque said he does not know whether the topic was discussed during the conversation between Duterte and Trump.
It was also unclear whether the two leaders talked about Trump's statement that China should face consequences if it was “knowingly responsible” for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roque said Trump should prove that China, which has been accused of underreporting its COVID-19 figures, had violated its obligation under international law.
"Under international law, a state who violated its obligation should be held accountable. The issue is even President Trump is not sure whether China did something that violated its obligation. He himself is unsure but if he intends to accuse China of committing a violation, he should show proof," the Palace spokesman said.
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