MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s colorful description of the “chubby” North Korean leader is just part of the Philippines’ expression of concern over Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programs and reflect the jitters Southeast Asian leaders feel over escalating tensions on the peninsula.
The DFA said the president is concerned especially over the welfare of tens of thousands of Filipinos living on the Korean Peninsula who could be adversely affected by strained relationships among Washington, Seoul, Pyongyang and other countries.
The Philippines is also geographically close to North Korea, putting it within range of a missile, DFA spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said in a media conference.
“It is an expression of concern on the part of the Philippines over the developments on the Korean Peninsula. We have 50,000 plus Filipinos in the Republic of Korea. We are very close to the Korean Peninsula in terms of geography,” he answered when asked if the chief executive’s remarks were helpful in diffusing the tensions.
On Wednesday, the Philippine leader, known for his colorful language, called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “chubby” and “son of b***h.”
The firebrand leader also called Kim a “nutcase” playing with “dangerous toys.”
"I do not think he is ready but he's playing with dangerous toys 'yang buang na 'yan. It must be stopped, itong nuclear war," Duterte said during the 113th anniversary of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. "Buang" is Bisaya for crazy.
Regional jitters
Duterte’s comments parallel the concerns of Southeast Asian countries over the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula over the North’s recalcitrant behavior.
They also came just a little less than a month after Pyongyang lit up an intercontinental ballistic missile that could potentially reach mainland US.
“We continue to express grave concerns over the developments in the Korean peninsula, including the most recent test by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 4 July 2017 on top of its previous nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches,” a leaked draft communique read.
In the leaked draft, ASEAN leaders called on North Korea to halt its weapons program and comply with its international obligations under United Nations resolutions.
The regional bloc, which upholds the principle of non-interference in its affairs, also pushed for the denuclearization of the peninsula and for the resumption of dialog among regional parties.
The group said: “We expressed support for initiatives to improve inter-Korean relations towards establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
Bolivar, the DFA spokesperson, said that aside from the welfare of the more than 50,000 Filipinos Duterte is also concerned over the possible effects of missile tests on the safety of overflights in the Philippine area of responsibility.
“We have a very serious concern, and I think that is where the president is coming from,” he said.
In expressing the region’s alarm over the North’s actions, Bolivar rejected American calls for Pyongyang to be excluded from a regional forum to be held in Manila on Monday in an effort to further isolate it internationally.
Bolivar said that having North Koreans in the forum would provide regional partners such as the South and the US a venue where they could tell Pyongyang their concerns.