Despite being able to endure the cold temperature of Moscow, Russia, Malacañang has said there is still no certainty if President Duterte will take a trip to the United States.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after Duterte’s five-day official visit to Moscow and Sochi in Russia last week.
In an interview, Panelo said the President was in good condition but said he was unsure if the President would go to the US since it was cold there.
“Si Presidente, hangga’t nagmumura nasa magandang kalusugan, for as long as he curses, maganda pa ang pangangatawan niyon,” he said. “Alam mo mahirap kasi napakalamig doon, eh dun nga lang sa Russia, mabuti nga nag-survive siya doon. Halos freezing kami doon,” he added.
The temperature in Moscow during Duterte’s visit was from 2°C to 10°C. The President spent three days in Moscow and two days in Sochi were the weather was a bit warmer.
Chief of Presidential Protocol for Foreign Affairs Robert Borje has refused to give a clear answer if weather is a factor in the President’s overseas travels since the Palace repeatedly insisted that the cold weather is preventing Duterte from going to the United States.
However, he said that all overseas trips of the President are important. “I think all of the visits are important. Otherwise he would not go,” he said.
Borje also said that Duterte is free to choose which country he wants to visit.
“I’m not saying weather is not a factor. What we’re saying is the President decides on the import of an outbound visit,” he said. “The President is entitled to exercise his decision on which visits he is going to undertake,” he added.
In July 2017, Duterte said that he will never visit the United States during his term or anytime thereafter after US lawmakers expressed that he should not be invited to the White House because of the alleged human rights violations in the country.
According to Duterte, he has been to the US and he found it “lousy.”
“There will never be a time during my admin that I’ll be going to America or thereafter. Tapos na ako diyan,” he said. “I’ve seen America and it’s lousy.”
He also said that Trump’s invitation was made with an air of sarcasm anyway.
Trump invited Duterte over to the White House last April. Duterte expressed gratitude to the US President but said his hands are already full. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)