Abrar Hussain: Phili-ppine President Rodrigo Duterte has apologized to former United States President Barack Obama for calling him a “son of a whore” in 2016, which sparked a new low between the two nations’ long standing alliance.
Duterte had lobbed the insult in response to steady criticism from the United States over his violent drug crackdown, which has been a target for international condemnation. However, Duterte claimed that his nation’s relationship with America has since improved under President Donald Trump, who he described as a “good friend” who “speaks my language.”
“It would be appropriate also to say at this time to Mr. Obama that you are now a civilian and I am sorry for uttering those words,” Duterte in a speech before Filipinos in Israel on Sunday.
Duterte is currently in Israel for a four-day stay as the Philippines seeks to develop new sources of military hardware and nail down protections for its overseas workers.
“If it is (in) your heart to forgive, you forgive. I have forgiven you, just like my girlfriends when I was still a bachelor … I have forgiven them also,” the Philippine leader in the same speech.
After his election in mid-2016, Duterte quickly earned a reputation for using vulgar language against critics which his aides have tried to minimize or explain away.He branded Pope Francis and the then US ambassador to Manila “sons of whores.” He also fired expletives at the United Nations and during a speech in the Philippines raised his middle finger in defiance to the European parliament.
-Source: Arab News