An example of how the national and international media manipulates their reports is now making the rounds online as some concerned netizens posted a video and transcript of Pres. Obama's interview.
Watch the Interview of Pres. Obama that Went Viral on Social Media:
US President Barrack Obama made headlines in the Philippines after he cancelled the supposed meeting between him and the US President in the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Laos.
Pres. Rody Duterte became the target of bias national and international media after he was misinterpreted on his statements which was intended for the reporter who asked question to him.
Although the President already apologized for his statement against the US President, some news media outlets continue to sensationalize the issue.
In the latest interview with Pres. Obama, an international reporter tried to get the side of Pres. Obama on the said issue but Pres. Obama did not issue any malicious statements against the President.
Here's the Complete Transcript of Pres. Obama's Interview:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I want to ask you about tomorrow, the next leg of your trip, a little bit. And tomorrow you're going to be meeting for the first time with President Duterte, and he’s a leader whose war on drugs has led to the death of about 2,400 people in just the last two months since he took office. And today he said in a very colorful way that you better not bring this up. And I'm wondering, are you are committed to raising this with President Duterte? And are you concerned that meeting him legitimizes his approach on this issue?
Watch the Interview of Pres. Obama that Went Viral on Social Media:
US President Barrack Obama made headlines in the Philippines after he cancelled the supposed meeting between him and the US President in the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Laos.
Pres. Rody Duterte became the target of bias national and international media after he was misinterpreted on his statements which was intended for the reporter who asked question to him.
Although the President already apologized for his statement against the US President, some news media outlets continue to sensationalize the issue.
In the latest interview with Pres. Obama, an international reporter tried to get the side of Pres. Obama on the said issue but Pres. Obama did not issue any malicious statements against the President.
Here's the Complete Transcript of Pres. Obama's Interview:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I want to ask you about tomorrow, the next leg of your trip, a little bit. And tomorrow you're going to be meeting for the first time with President Duterte, and he’s a leader whose war on drugs has led to the death of about 2,400 people in just the last two months since he took office. And today he said in a very colorful way that you better not bring this up. And I'm wondering, are you are committed to raising this with President Duterte? And are you concerned that meeting him legitimizes his approach on this issue?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I just came out of a long day of meetings, so I just heard about some of this. But I have seen some of those colorful statements in the past, and so, clearly, he’s a colorful guy. And what I’ve instructed my team to do is to talk to their Philippine counterparts to find out is this, in fact, a time where we can have some constructive, productive conversations. Obviously, the Filipino people are some of our closest friends and allies, and the Philippines is a treaty ally of ours. But I always want to make sure that if I'm having a meeting that it's actually productive and we're getting something done.
We recognize the significant burden that the drug trade plays just not just in the Philippines, but around the world. And fighting narco-trafficking is tough. But we will always assert the need to have due process and to engage in that fight against drugs in a way that's consistent with basic international norms. And so, undoubtedly, if and when we have a meeting, that this is something that's going to be brought up, and my expectation, my hope is, is that it could be dealt with constructively.
But I'll have my team discuss this. I've got a whole bunch of folks that I'm going to be meeting with over the course of the next several days. And, as I said, historically, our relationship with the Philippines is one of our most important, and my relationship with the Philippine people has been extraordinarily warm and productive. So I expect that will continue. But I want to make sure that the setting is right and the timing is right for us to have the best conversation possible.
Q So you're not going to meet with him?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well I'm -- no, as I said, I'm going to just make an assessment. I just got out of these meetings. What is certainly true is, is that the issues of how we approach fighting crime and drug trafficking is a serious one for all of us, and we've got to do it the right way.
We recognize the significant burden that the drug trade plays just not just in the Philippines, but around the world. And fighting narco-trafficking is tough. But we will always assert the need to have due process and to engage in that fight against drugs in a way that's consistent with basic international norms. And so, undoubtedly, if and when we have a meeting, that this is something that's going to be brought up, and my expectation, my hope is, is that it could be dealt with constructively.
But I'll have my team discuss this. I've got a whole bunch of folks that I'm going to be meeting with over the course of the next several days. And, as I said, historically, our relationship with the Philippines is one of our most important, and my relationship with the Philippine people has been extraordinarily warm and productive. So I expect that will continue. But I want to make sure that the setting is right and the timing is right for us to have the best conversation possible.
Q So you're not going to meet with him?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well I'm -- no, as I said, I'm going to just make an assessment. I just got out of these meetings. What is certainly true is, is that the issues of how we approach fighting crime and drug trafficking is a serious one for all of us, and we've got to do it the right way.