In this file photo taken on July 26, 2021, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during the annual state of the nation address at the House of Representatives in Manila. (JAM STA ROSA / POOL / AFP)
MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has refused the invitation of US President Joe Biden to attend the summit between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next month.
The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs has not issued an official statement on who will attend the summit
In a taped meeting with some members of the Cabinet aired on Wednesday, Duterte said he received an invitation to attend an ASEAN "dialogue" with Biden, but there would be a newly elected Philippine president and the next administration may not like any "agreement" or "commitment" to be discussed in the meeting.
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"It's not good to go there knowing we already have a new president," Duterte said.
On May 9, Filipinos will elect a new president to succeed Duterte, whose six-year term ends in June. Duterte was elected president in 2016. The Philippine constitution permits the president to serve a single six-year term.
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The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs has not issued an official statement on who will attend the summit. Duterte never visited the United States during his term in office.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.