Barrack Obama U.S President

U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday suggests he might cancel a scheduled bilateral meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte after the leader suggested he would swear at the Obama if he raised concerns about extra-judicial killings.

“Clearly he’s a colourful guy,” Obama tells reporters after learning of the remarks, adding that his aides are evaluating whether “it’s actually productive” for the leaders to meet.

“We recognise the significant burden that the drug trade plays not just in the Philippines, but around the world and fighting trafficking is tough.

“However, we will always assert the need to have due process and to have that fight against drugs in a way that is consistent with international norms” Obama said. (dpa/NAN)

Duterte on had warned that no foreign leader, even U.S, should question his deadly anti-drug campaign when they meet at an annual South-East Asian summit in Laos.

“You must be respectful,” Duterte said before flying to Vientiane, where he makes his international debut at the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’s summit after becoming president on June 30.

“I will swear at you at that forum,” he added, when asked how he would respond to questions about the spate of killings of suspected drug users and addicts under his administration.

According to police statistics, 1,011 suspected drug users and pushers have been killed in police operations from July 1 to Sept. 4.

Police also recorded 1,391 deaths that are still being investigated during the same period.

Duterte was scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with Obama on Tuesday after the start of the ASEAN leaders’ summit.

He would also meet with his counterparts from Russia, Australia, Japan, India, New Zealand, Singapore, Laos and Vietnam.

Last week, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama was “not going to pull any punches” on human rights when he meets with Duterte.

While Duterte stressed that he does not want to pick a fight with Obama, he said that “Nobody but nobody should interfere.

“This is an independent country.

“Nobody has the right to lecture me, If you do that, we will end up insulting each other,” he said.