President Duterte has indicated his willingness to visit the United States and return the standing invitation extended to him by President Donald J. Trump, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez said.
“He has indicated that he would like to go but it’s a just a question of timing, really timing,” Romualdez said on the sidelines of the 243rd US Independence Day celebration in Makati City the other day.
Romualdez explained there are many things to be considered in the President’s schedule this year such as his participation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, respectively.
Apart from that, he said, the US is bracing for the general elections in November next year in which Trump is gunning for a second term at the Oval Office.
“There’s no definite date but he’ll definitely go to the United States. We just don’t have the date,” the Philippine envoy said.
Trump conveyed his invitation to Duterte to visit Washington during Manila’s hosting of the ASEAN summit in November 2017. (Roy Mabasa)
