LIMA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday met the man he calls his hero, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and unburdened his gripes about US "hypocrisy," "bullying" and foreign wars. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrives for a bilateral meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Lima on Nov 19, 2016. "It was good (while) it lasted," Duterte told Putin of what he has called his "separation" from the US. Duterte also said the United States "forced" the Philippines to contribute soldiers in its wars in Vietnam and Iraq. Duterte, who has cultivated an image as a no-nonsense leader, said last month that "my favorite hero is Putin."

Source: Bangkok Post November 20, 2016 04:37 UTC