DFA immediately explained that Duterte has an extraordinarily full schedule during the ASEAN forum meeeting that he had to forego some requests, including that of UN.
President Rodrigo Duterte has declined a request to meet United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Duterte has recently railed against the UN for criticizing his government in connection to the war against illegal drugs which is said to have resulted to increasing number of victims of extra-judicial killings.
According to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, contacts were had to try to set up a time for a meeting between Duterte and Ban on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum meeting to be held in Laos next week but it is said both leaders’ schedule just would not allow.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) immediately explained that a total of eleven (11) heads of state had requested meetings with Pres. Duterte during the ASEAN meeting and he had given a green light to nine of them.