Despite being criticized by many with his statements regarding their upcoming talks with Obama, the tough-talking President Duterte has become an instant celebrity in the ASEAN Summit held in Laos. Delegates gather around Duterte and take turns to take a selfie with the Philippine President.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Andanar, “President Duterte is a rockstar not only in our country but also in other countries like Laos and Japan”. He also added “Other foreign ministers and delegates have scrambled to get a selfie with our President.
Being the most talked-about President in the world and being labeled as “The Punisher”, it’s not a surprise how he became so popular among his fellow state heads. He received a very warm welcome from the ASEAN leaders in Laos and they plan to hold the next ASEAN Summit 2017 in the Philippines.