President-elect Donald Trump said good luck to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte for his controvesial fight against drugs.
Both leaders chatted in a phone call on Friday, Duterte’s spokesman Martin Andanar said.
“President-elect Trump was sensitive to the Philippine’s drug problem and he wished president Duterte well in his anti-drugs campaign,” the spokesman said.
Both men passed along invitations to their respective countries.
“Trump expressed his inclination to attend the ASEAN,” the spokesman said. ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian nations.
Special Assistant to the President Bong Go said they spoke about 10 minutes. He described the talk as a “very engaging, animated conversation.”
Duterte invited Trump to the 2017 Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, which the Philippines will host. Go said Trump also invited Duterte for a visit to the White House next year. Andanar said Trump also invited Duterte to New York.
Washington has been critical of the Philippines handling of drug dealers, including extrajudical killings — government executions without the benefit of judicial proceedings.
Duterte’s verbal tirades and tilt away from Washington have raised many eyebrows since he took office in May.
While on a trip to China in October, Duterte said that “America has lost,” and that he has realigned himself with China’s “ideological flow.” He later clarified his comments about relations with the United States saying he was rather pursuing a “separation of foreign policy” from the US.