As he boarded his plane for Laos, Duterte was asked by reporters what he would do if Obama pressed him on the antidrug killings. He answered, “I am a president of a sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony.” His voice was raised and he tapped his chest to make his point. “I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody, but nobody. You must be respectful. Don’t just throw around questions.” He switched to the local language, Tagalog, to say “Putang ina” (meaning “son of a bitch”), then continued in English: “I do not want to pick a quarrel with Obama but, certainly, I
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