The Straits Times in quoting diplomatic sources said that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will make a state visit to Singapore from Dec 14 to 16. There has been no official confirmation about Mr Duterte’s visit.
Duterte led 1,000 Davao City employees in burning the Singapore flag in March 1995, when the Singapore government executed Flor Contemplacion, a Filipina domestic worker, for the murder of a fellow domestic worker and the three year old boy she was taking care of.
In April and in the run-up to the Philippines’ election, Duterte had brought up his flag burning past at a rally and told his supporters that he had told someone at the time: “Find me a flag of Singapore. Let’s burn it. I told them, F*** Singapore.”
A spokesman for Duterte later clarified that it was just a joke and made as a tit-for-tat to protest against Singapore’s involvement in the Philippines Presidential Election. He was responding to a fake viral message which said that Mr Lee Hsien Loong supported Duterte.
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