MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) — US Vice President Mike Pence says President Donald Trump will be attending a summit with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in the Philippines in November.
Pence says Trump will also attend the East Asia Summit that follows the regional meetings in the Philippines that same month.
But not so fast.
President Duterte has instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration to make sure Trump has a valid visitor’s visa when he arrives in Manila.
While US citizens are not required to secure a visa to visit the Philippines, Duterte said it’s payback time for America and Trump whose travel policy is known to be anti-immigrant and unfair to Filipinos. (Filipinos have to secure a visa to visit the US.)
“Since I have not been granted visa to visit the US years ago and Filipinos have to go through the eye of a needle just to get a visitor’s visa to the US, why should Trump be able to come to the Philippines without a visa,” Duterte said.
Duterte’s anti-Trump policy has the support of 100% of the ASEAN leaders.