DAVAO CITY (March 2) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, February 28, received US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a courtesy call.
According to the government officials who accompanied the President, the meeting covered issues that would improve bilateral cooperations, counterterrorism strategy, and regional security.
The Philippine officials present during the meeting at the Villamor Airbase were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., and Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez.
The American officials who accompanied Pompeo were US State Department Senior Bureau official Patrick Murphy, State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Palladino, and US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim.
Prior to the President’s meeting with Pompeo, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. hoped that the brief meeting would boost further the long-time defense alliance between the Philippines and the US.
Pompeo, who accompanied President Donald Trump in his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, arrived in the Philippines Thursday night to meet President Duterte.
During his two-day visit, Pompeo is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Locsin to discuss areas of mutual interest.-NewsLIne.ph
