United States President Donald Trump called President Rodrigo Duterte late Sunday evening to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Senator Christopher Go said the phone conversation lasted 18 minutes.
Duterte earlier criticized the US for luring Filipino nurses into working in America at a time when all available health workers are needed amid the virus outbreak.
“This is the problem now. America is part of the problem of the Filipinos now. They are convincing Filipino medical workers and nurses to go to embassy, process their visa in one day and fly the following day,” Duterte said.
More than 160,000 people have died from the new coronavirus around the world, almost two thirds of them in Europe.
The United States is the country with the most reported deaths at 39,090, followed by Italy with 23,227, Spain 20,453, France 19,323 and Britain 15,464.
