President Donald Trump used a series of public appearances in the Philippines on Monday to heap praise upon the island nation’s strongman president, Rodrigo Duterte, and shut down reporters who tried to press the leaders on the country’s human rights abuses. Trump, who spoke during the U.S.’s fifth summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila, began his remarks by commending Duterte for his chairmanship of the group. He then focused on the previous evening’s entertainment ― none other than Duterte himself. “And you were fantastic, also, very much, from the Philippines.”Trump didn’t take questions from journalists following his remarks, but during a bilateral meeting he referred to his trip as “very successful” and lauded his “great relationship” with Duterte. When reporters tried to press the leaders on whether the subject of human rights came up, Duterte ― who has been accused of crimes against humanity― shot them down.

Source: Huffington Post November 13, 2017 10:18 UTC