The president of the Philippines has seemingly decided that he and President-elect Donald Trump are going to be good friends.
“I would like to congratulate Mr. Donald Trump. Long live,” President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday, reports Reuters.
Duterte appears excited about the possibilities of a Trump presidency because he believes he has found common ground: a mutual love for inappropriate comments.
“We are both making curses. Even with trivial matters we curse. I was supposed to stop because Trump is there. I don’t want to quarrel anymore, because Trump has won,” the president said.
Duterte previously called President Barack Obama a “son of a whore” and told him to “go to hell,” and these are some of his tamer comments.
“Occasionally, in order to sort of really highlight something, I’ll use a profanity,” Trump reportedly said earlier this year. The president of the Philippines seems to believe that he and Trump can swear and spout off offensive language together.
Speaking to a crowd Tuesday, Duterte discussed his attempts to hit on Vice President Leni Robredo, a widow, during meetings. In one instance, he reportedly asked her if she had a boyfriend and then suggested that he “may be killed” if she did, the Washington Post revealed. Robredo called the president’s comments “inappropriate,” but Duterte dismissed her response, stating, “It’s appropriate. As a matter of fact, it’s good.”
During his campaign, Duterte spoke about a woman who was raped and killed. He said she was “so beautiful” that he should have been allowed to have a go at her first.
In the weeks running up to the U.S. election, a leaked recording of Trump making crass comments about a woman years ago made headlines, but Trump cast off the comments as “locker room” talk.
Many of Trump’s comments have drawn the same criticisms that Duterte’s statements have.
Trump and Duterte actually have a lot in common, as they are both strong populist candidates that rose quickly on ambitions to restructure and repair the establishment.
Because of their similarities, Trump has been referred to as the “Duterte of the West,” and Duterte has been called the “Trump of the East.”
Their common attributes may cause them to bump heads, but they may also help to restore the U.S.-Philippines relationship.
Duterte has railed against the U.S. for months, but he says that he is done fighting with the U.S. now that Trump has been elected. “I never wanted any quarrel with anybody so I wish President Trump that he will honor our obligations and treaties with the U.S.,” he explained.
The Philippines”looks forward to working with the incoming administration for enhanced Philippines-U.S. relations anchored on mutual respect, mutual benefit and shared commitment to democratic ideals and the rule of law,” a presidential spokesman revealed.
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