A day after no-shows, Duterte early for last day of 33rd ASEAN Summit

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday showed up early for the last day of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore.

Duterte arrived at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre — the venue of high level meetings among ASEAN member states and between dialogue partners of the 10-nation bloc — ahead of the breakfast meeting between Southeast Asian leaders and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The ASEAN-India Informal Breakfast Summit was scheduled for 8:30 a.m.

However, Duterte was not around in the family photo for the summit as he was represented anew by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. 

Malacañang earlier said the President is due to attend the events lined up for the third and final day of the ASEAN Summit.

These include ASEAN’s meetings with India and the United States, ASEAN Plus Three Summit, East Asia Summit and the closing ceremony where Singapore will turn over to Thailand the rotating chairmanship of the organization.

Duterte will also have a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

It was Duterte’s first appearance after skipping six out of 11 events on the second day of the ASEAN Summit on Wednesday, including the gala dinner Singapore hosted for him and his fellow heads of government.

The Palace said Duterte had little sleep the night before and had to take power naps in between summits.

Locsin represented Duterte in the events the chief executive missed.

Duterte showed up in the ASEAN leaders' meetings with China, Japan and Russia.

He also had a bilateral meeting with Lee, this year’s ASEAN chairman, and witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Eurasian Economic Commission and ASEAN on economic cooperation.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that Duterte’s absence had "nothing to do with his physical health and well-being which have been the subject of speculation.”

Panelo also said Duterte had a "productive and fruitful" second day spent at the ASEAN Summit even if the chief executive did not attend majority of the events. —KBK, GMA News