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President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday he regretted his personal attack on United States Barack Obama, leading to the cancellation of their bilateral talks at the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos .

In a statement read by Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in Vientiane where the summits are being held, Duterte said the meeting between him and Obama has been "mutually agreed upon to be moved to a later date."

"While the immediate cause was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the US President," he said.

Asked when would be the possible meeting between the two leaders, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, who was also present during the interview, said there was no specific date.

On Tuesday morning, Obama pulled out of the bilateral talks set in the afternoon after Duterte, prior to his departure for Laos , said bad words against Obama, who reportedly would raise the issue on extrajudicial killings in the Philippines .

Duterte has said the Philippines is a sovereign state and his only master are the Filipinos as he also described Obama as "son of a bitch."

The US and other human rights groups have raised concern over the increasing number of drug suspects killed amid Duterte's all-out war against illegal drugs. The United Nations also criticized the anti-drug campaign and a meeting between Duterte and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was scrapped.

"Our primary intention is to chart an independent foreign policy while promoting closer ties with all nations, especially the US with which we have a had a long standing partnership," Abella read Duterte's statement.

Duterte said he looked forward to "ironing out differences arising out of national priorities and perceptions, and working in mutually responsible ways for both countries."

In an interview with reporters on Monday night after meeting with the Filipino community in Laos , Duterte said he did not want to quarrel with the "most powerful country in the planet."

Duterte said the US State Department staff, instead of keeping on "mouthing," apparently on his administration's campaign against illegal drugs, they could have sent him a "note verbale or whatever and let me respond and let the human rights act on it."

He said the protocol should have been followed.

The Philippines ’ former top diplomats called the cancelled meeting a missed opportunity.

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the meeting could have provided an opportunity for the Philippines and the United States to bolster their cooperation in all levels at a time of growing regional concerns.

“The cancellation is unfortunate,” said Lauro Baja, former Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN. “The meeting between two heads of state is the highest form of diplomacy. The goodwill and understanding and possible personal rapport between the leaders are positive intangibles missed by the cancellation,” said Baja.

In a separate statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Duterte affirmed that he continues to value the alliance with the US , noting both countries share common goals in pursuing the war against drugs, terrorists, crime and poverty.

It said Obama has emphasized the importance for China to abide by its bligations under international law and underscored the US unwavering commitment to the security of its treaty allies.

The US has been supporting the award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the Philippine case against China 's nine-dash line in the South China Sea . Celerina Monte/DMS