Obama canceled the appointment because he was insulted by the President of the Philippines?

US President Barack Obama has canceled his first meeting with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte after the latter used offensive language about him, a White House spokesman announced on September 6.

Mr. Obama (left) canceled plans to meet Mr. Duterte after being insulted. (Source: Phil Star)

Duterte, a plain-spoken man known for his explosive statements and harsh anti-drug campaign, called Obama a “son of a bitch” in front of reporters on September 5, a day before their planned meeting in Laos.

Mr Obama heard about the insult as he left the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China. At a news conference, he said he had asked his aides to consult with Philippine officials to “see if this is the right time” for constructive talks.

“I always want to make sure that if I go into a meeting it is constructive and we get something done,” he told reporters.

Instead of meeting Duterte, Obama rescheduled his meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye later on September 6, where the two sides were expected to discuss North Korea's latest missile launches, White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said.

Mr Obama arrived in Vientiane before midnight on September 5, beginning the first visit by a US president to Laos. He is expected to address the legacy of US bombing there during the Vietnam War.

The White House said Mr Obama had no plans to attack human rights abuses in the Philippines, a close ally, when he met Mr Duterte.

Duterte was elected President of the Philippines in May and vowed to wipe drugs off the streets. A wave of extrajudicial killings followed.

Duterte once said it would be "rude" for Obama to raise human rights issues during their meeting. However, on September 5, Obama said he recognized the importance of fighting drugs, although he stressed that the operation must be carried out within the law.

According to VIETNAM+