Trump, Duterte meet for first time at APEC summit

Philippines鈥� President Rodrigo Duterte speaks next to Brunei鈥檚 Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah during the APEC-ASEAN dialogue, on the sidelines of the APEC summit, in Danang, Vietnam on November 10. (Reuters)

DANANG, Vietnam: US President Donald Trump met Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for the first time at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam on Saturday.
The meeting was 鈥渟hort but was warm and cordial,鈥� Duterte鈥檚 spokesman, Harry Roque, told reporters.
鈥淭he leaders were generally pleased to finally meet each other in person,鈥� he said.
Trump told Duterte 鈥渟ee you tomorrow,鈥� Roque said.
Both the leaders are in Danang, Vietnam for the APEC summit. Trump will head to Manila on Sunday for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on the last leg of his 12-day Asian trip.
Duterte 鈥� sometimes described 鈥楾rump of the East鈥� because of his brash and mercurial style 鈥� had said on Wednesday that he would tell the US president to 鈥渓ay off鈥� if he raised the issue of human rights when they met.
More than 3,900 Filipinos have been killed in what the police call self-defense in Duterte鈥檚 war on drugs. Critics say executions are taking place with zero accountability, allegations the police reject.
But Trump, who has been criticized at home for neglecting rights issues in dealings abroad, in May praised Duterte for doing an 鈥渦nbelievable job on the drug problem.鈥�
Human rights, rule of law and due process were among topics Trump and Duterte would likely discuss during their bilateral talks, Sung Kim, US ambassador to Manila, had said last month.