Duterte to visit Kingdom next week

The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, will embark on a short visit to Cambodia next week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed yesterday.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Chum Sounry confirmed Duterte, known by the moniker “the Punisher”, would visit the Kingdom on December 13 and 14. Sounry could not elaborate on his meeting schedule, which will be finalised today.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and Duterte have bonded in the past over chronic drug problems in their respective states – though the premier stopped short of promoting Duterte’s bloody tactics. More than 5,800 have been killed since July 1 under Duterte’s war on drugs.

Despite what countless commentators have named as clear rights abuses, government spokesman Phay Siphan said Cambodia had no right to interfere in Filipino affairs.

Last month, the Philippines’ Foreign Ministry released a statement slamming David Scheffer, the UN secretary-general’s envoy to the Khmer Rouge tribunal, as “irresponsible”, after he urged Filipino leaders to “take note” of a final guilty verdict for crimes against humanity for Khmer Rouge leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan.

Contact author: Erin Handley

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