Filipino president serenades Trump with love song

  • 14/11/2017

In a bizarre show of international friendship, Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte publicly serenaded Donald Trump with a love song. 

Mr Duterte and Mr Trump were among 19 leaders at a gala in Manila on Sunday (local time). The event for leaders across Asia took place before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, which was also attended by NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

At one point during the dinner, Mr Duterte took the microphone to perform Ikaw (You), a popular Filipino love song. He performed the ballad as a duet with local pop star Pilita Corrales. One of the verses translates as: "You are the light in my world, a half of this heart of mine."

When he finished singing, Mr Duterte announced, to the laughter of the room, that he "sang uninvited… upon the orders of the commander-in-chief of the United States". Video footage showed Mr Trump looking pleased with the performance. 

They both wore traditional 'barong' shirts made from pineapple fibre.

The two leaders, who had met for the first time the day before, shared jokes and conversation throughout the evening. Mr Duterte's spokesman said the two leaders bonded over their mutual dislike of former US President Barack Obama, whom Mr Duterte once called a "son of a whore". 

Mr Trump spoke of the "great relationship" between their countries, that have been strategic allies since World War II. 

President Duterte, who was elected in 2016, has been described as the 'Trump of the East'. The controversial leader campaigned on an authoritarian platform and, as leader, has encouraged extrajudicial executions as part of his government's crackdown on the illegal drug trade. 

The number of people killed in the Philippines' 'war on drugs' is unknown, with some human rights groups claiming as many as 14,000 have died. Mr Trump has refused to address the alleged human rights abuses committed by Mr Duterte's regime. 

Newshub.