Philippine President refuses Biden’s invitation

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declined US Vice President Joe Biden’s offer to attend the United States-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference next month.

Duterte said in a taped meeting with some Cabinet members aired on Wednesday that he received an invitation to attend an ASEAN “dialogue” with Biden, but that there would be a newly elected Philippine president and that any “agreement” or “commitment” discussed in the meeting might not be acceptable to the next administration.
“Going there knowing we already have a new president is not good,” Duterte stated.

Filipinos will pick a new president on May 9 to replace Duterte, whose six-year term expires in June. In 2016, Duterte was elected President of the Philippines. The Philippine constitution allows for a single six-year term for the president.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to make an official announcement on who would be attending the meeting. During his presidency, Duterte never visited the United States.

Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are all members of ASEAN.