(UPDATED – 11:20 a.m. Sunday, April 30) MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday remarked at the ASEAN Summit reception dinner that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un appeared to be playing with fire and shooting up missiles as if he was playing with “kwitis” (skyrocket fireworks) used during festivals.
Duterte said Southeast Asian nations are “extremely worried” and no one should “play into his hands” because it would cause catastrophe to the region.
“The countries of ASEAN are extremely worried. There seems to be two countries playing with their toys, and those toys are not really to entertain,” he said, referring to the North Korea and the United States.
He said it behooves upon America to be “prudent and patient.”
“I’m sure President Trump is also cautioning his military to just hang in there and not to start something that they cannot control,” he said.
Facing journalists for a news briefing at the end of the ASEAN Summit hosted by Manila, Duterte said he was expecting a call from Trump later in the evening
“I’m expecting a call from President Trump tonight … but I will say that Mr. President, please see to it that there is no war because my region will suffer. The first fallout of the conflict will be on us, Asia,” he said.
The call did come through later in the evening. The conversation included the expression of President Trump’s commitment to the PH-US alliance and his interest in developing a warm, working relationship with President Duterte. President Trump likewise mentioned that he looks forward to his visit to the Philippines in November for the East Asia Summit (EAS).
The US has protested North Korea’s missile and nuclear tests and threatened to tighten economic sanctions against that country.
At the close of the ASEAN Summit in Manila, the leaders of the 10 states in their statement, expressed concerns about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) actions.
Duterte warned of a “catastrophe” to the region with just one miscalculation in the missile situation.
“The first victim would be Asia,” he said.
He said the North Korean leader should stop with the missile tests.
“The guy simply wants to end the world, that is why he is happy, he is always smiling, but he really wants to finish everything, and they will drag us all down,” he said. (With a feed from Maricel Halili, News5)
