Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte says he might not meet with Trump after all because he's too busy

Phillipenes president Rodrigo Duterte.
(Image credit: NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump came under heavy criticism when he invited controversial Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House during a phone conversation Sunday. Duterte, who promotes the extrajudicial killings of accused drug-related criminals, has famously claimed "I don't care about human rights" and told former President Barack Obama to "go to hell."

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But Trump might be in luck and manage to avoid the awkward photo-op anyway, The New York Times reports. Duterte, as it turns out, might be too busy to bother with a visit to Washington.

"I cannot make any definite promise," Duterte said Monday, claiming he was "tied up." "I'm supposed to go to Russia, I'm supposed to go to Israel."

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