DAVAO CITY—President Rodrigo Duterte has canceled his planned working visit to Brunei starting today following an explosion at the city’s night market which left at least 14 people dead and 67 injured on Friday, a senior Palace official said Saturday.
“It was only the Brunei [leg of the Asean swing] that was canceled because we have details still to face at the moment, but his other trips will continue as planned. Those things are under control,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella told radio dzMM.
The President had been scheduled to go on an Asean swing, with the first leg in Brunei from Sept. 4 to 5; Laos from Sept. 6 to 8; and Indonesia on Sept. 9.
In a late Friday night press briefing, only hours after the explosion, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the President is assessing whether to push through or not with his trip to Laos and Indonesia.
“The President has said that with the present situation, he is thinking of whether to postpone his planned trips,” Andanar told the Manila Standard after a closed-door meeting with the President.
With this new development, the President will only embark on a two-country swing this week, his first foreign trip since he took office on June 30.
Under the original schedule, Duterte was supposed to visit Brunei in a working visit before proceeding to Laos for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit. His last stop will be in Jakarta for a meeting with the Filipino community.
Meanwhile, the White House said President Barack Obama will be personally extending his condolences to Duterte, a long-time mayor of the southeastern coastal Davao City.
“The United States offers deep condolences to the families and other loved ones of the victims of the explosion in the Philippines’ Davao City, and our thoughts and prayers are with the injured,” US National Security Council Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
Obama will have an opportunity to offer his personal condolences to Duterte in their scheduled bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asean summit, Price said.
“We understand that local authorities continue to investigate the cause of the explosion in the night market, and the United States stands ready to provide assistance to the investigation,” he added.