PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday blamed his rapid long-distance travel from Manila to Lima for his failure to show up in some important events during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
“You know why? Jet lag. But I’m not lightheaded. Because exactly at that time, it’s my sleeping time back home in the Philippines. I sleep at 3, 4, 5 [in the morning]. That’s the time here,” Duterte, 71, told reporters Monday morning, Manila time.
“That’s why in meetings I was already shutting my eye, I cannot resist it. And even I was listening to others, it just closes. I said that it’s not good to be somebody, to be with the greats of convention and I’ll shut down my eyes. I said that I will go home. But I cannot sleep. Jet lag simply.”
Duterte skipped the Apec leaders’ photo shoot, a gala dinner hosted by Peruvian President Pablo Kuczynski, and the second economic leaders’ retreat on the second day of the summit.
But a photo sent by Special Assistant to the President Secretary Bong Go to reporters showed that the President was able to attend the first economic leaders’ retreat scheduled on Sunday morning in Lima.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the President started feeling unwell during the dialogue between Apec leaders and Pacific Alliance Presidents on Sunday afternoon.
Asked if the President skipped the events to avoid interacting with other leaders like US President Barack Obama whom he previously lambasted after criticizing his war on drugs, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon simply said: “We could not determine the direction of the eyes of both.”
Before the two events, Duterte secured promises of trade investments from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.