QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — Malacañang said that there were no contradictions between the statements issued by President Rodrigo Duterte and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, there was only a matter of difference of perspectives between the President and the Australian official when they issued their statements.
Abella was referring to Duterte’s pronouncement before he left for Myanmar that he did not discuss human rights and extra-judicial killings with Bishop, who paid him a courtesy call in Davao City.
Bishop, however, said she and the President had a long discussion about the campaign against illegal drugs and about Australia’s concern about extrajudicial killings.
“There was no contradiction between the Australian official and the Philippine president, just a difference in perspective…Since they had a productive dialogue, which emphasized possible areas of constructive cooperation on the war against illegal drugs, the President did not deem it sufficient to mention as having been discussed,” the Palace official said in a statement.
“On the whole, the meeting was positive and just affirmed the growing Philippine-Australia relations,” Abella added.
Eagle News Service
