Philippine’s President Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the ASEAN summit in Jakarta, said the spokesperson

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MANILA, 22 April, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, the Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders' summit scheduled on Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Duterte "has decided to remain in the country to attend to pressing domestic concerns in light of the surge of COVID-19 cases."

"This special leaders' meeting will address urgent matters in the region, including recovery efforts, the situation in Myanmar, ASEAN community-building efforts, external relations, and regional and international issues," the statement added.

The DFA said Duterte has designated Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin as his special envoy to the summit.

The summit will discuss ASEAN's collective efforts in addressing threats and challenges to peace and stability in the region.

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