SINGAPORE (Reuters) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte met with his Singapore counterpart Tony Tan on Thursday (December 15) in the city state.
During the state visit, Duterte, who has been criticised abroad for his ‘war on drugs’, reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN countries not interfering in each others’ internal affairs.
“We are committed to make the ASEAN region and beyond safe and secure from traditional and emerging transnational threats,” Duterte said.
Duterte has retained a “very good” opinion-poll rating after six months in office marked by surging deaths in his war on drugs, but many worry that his tirades against some foreign leaders could dent the country’s image.
Duterte, who will be 77 at the end of his six-year term in 2022, is the oldest person to be elected president in the Philippines since the post-war period.