Duterte skips APEC gala dinner in Vietnam

DA NANG, Vietnam — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday skipped the welcome and gala dinner hosted by Vietnam for the leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit here.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano instead came to represent the President, accompanied by his wife, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano.

In a post on Facebook, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said Duterte was not able to attend the dinner as he was "attending to urgent ASEAN hosting matters" and "coordinating safe recovery of Vietnamese captives of the Abu Sayyaf."

It was not the first time Duterte skipped a gala dinner.

He also skipped the dinner at the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru, last year, citing "migraine."

Duterte also missed a photo opportunity with the APEC leaders, including US President Donald Trump.

The gala dinner could have offered an opportunity for Duterte and Trump to meet for the first time. —KBK, GMA News