Duterte unlikely to attend ASEAN-US summit in Washington
President Rodrigo Duterte said he is not likely to attend the United States and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit next month.
In his Talk to The People public address Tuesday, Duterte said it will be "inappropriate" for him to participate since it will be held after the May 9 elections, where his successor could be named.
He said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana informed him about the US government's formal invitation for the summit set May 12-13 in Washington.
"I'm just explaining to Secretary Lorenzana...they said they really want me to go to America to attend (the summit) to complete the story because that is ASEAN and I think everybody has evinced a desire to attend the event. Only I do not want to attend," Duterte said.
Acting Presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said if Duterte decides to send a representative, he said it will likely be Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. DMS
