President Duterte had earlier declared that in his forthcoming meeting with his American counterpart, he will insist that Obama listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights. According to Duterte, Obama must understand the drug problem that the Philippines is facing before he can talk about human rights. But the talks between the two leaders will not be confined to human rights concerns. He said President Obama will speak quite directly about the shared interests of the US with the Philippines, particularly maritime security – an aspect of the relationship wherein Manila has benefited more. Earnest said the White House is not preparing for the Duterte meeting in any way that is different from other bilateral meetings.

Source: Manila Bulletin September 01, 2016 16:07 UTC