TOKYO — President Rodrigo Duterte thanked Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko for their kindness and compassion during their Philippine visit when he paid them a courtesy call at the
TOKYO — President Rodrigo Duterte thanked Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko for their kindness and compassion during their Philippine visit when he paid them a courtesy call at the Imperial Palace on Tuesday.
Mr. Duterte, accompanied by his partner, Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña, had an audience with the emperor and empress at the end of his two-day official visit to Japan, his second time to come to the country as President of the Philippines.
He flew back to the Philippines early on Tuesday evening.
During the visit to the Imperial Palace, Mr. Duterte conveyed his appreciation and gratitude for the imperial couple’s kindness and compassion when they came to the Philippines in 2016 for the 60th anniversary of the normalization of Philippine-Japan diplomatic relations, according to a Malacañang statement.
The Palace provided no further details of Mr. Duterte’s meeting with the emperor and empress.
Mr. Duterte was supposed to meet Akihito during his visit to Japan in October last year but the meeting was canceled because the emperor’s uncle died.
He also tried to meet Akihito in June, but had to postpone his trip to Japan because of the outbreak of violence in Marawi.
Tuesday’s meeting with Akihito was Mr. Duterte’s last chance to pay him an official visit, as the emperor had been given the right to abdicate next year, Philippine Ambassador Jose Laurel V said earlier.
