President Rodrigo Duterte met with Filipinos in Laos where he is attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Vientiane.
In a speech to the crowd, mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), he asked for time to fix the country, repeating his promises to Filipinos, which include his intention to clear the government of corrupt officials.
Duterte also supported the integrity of his Cabinet officials and said all of them are good in their individual fields. He said that, together with his Cabinet, he would take care of the country for the Filipinos.
He also thanked the OFWs for helping hold up the company’s economy through the remittances they send to their families back home.
The trip to Laos marked Duterte’s first trip abroad as head of state and the second time he faced OFWs after his victory in the May 9 elections. The trip also became controversial when his invective against US President Barack Obama during his pre-departure press briefing in Davao City induced the latter to cancel their bilateral meeting.
