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President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday that his visit to the United States was only a matter of "timing". This seems to be a softening of his radical stance against visiting the traditional ally of the Philippines.
Duterte had previously said that he would never visit the United States during his tenure as president after Washington became critical of his drug war and his campaign against crime. But it was under the administration of former President Barack Obama.
It seems that his position is changing now as he greeted Wednesday his friendship with US President Donald Trump.
"He (Trump) is my friend and of course I've been invited to the United States many times, but you know, it's not because of anyone, it has something to do with the calendar, "said Mr. Duterte at a conference in Davao.
The president said that long-haul flights from Manila to Washington would "kill" him.
"The long trip from 13 to 14 hours would kill me," he said.
The US Ambbadador to the Philippines Kim had said earlier that Duterte's visit to the US was only a "scheduling issue".
READ: Duterte's visit to the United States "just a question of scheduling" – Sung Kim
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