President Duterte on Thursday night headed to Brunei Darussalam for the 50th year celebration of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah’s accession to the throne, marking his first foreign trip in nearly five months.
Since the conflict in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, broke out, the President has vowed not to leave domestic soil until the fight against Islamist extremists is over. But the President is committed to that promise—having rejected in June an invitation from Japan to attend a business conference in Tokyo—he seemingly could not refuse Bolkiah’s request for his personal attendance.
The President is scheduled to join Bolkiah, the royal family and other invited leaders in a royal banquet and dinner. Right after he is expected to return to Davao, where he will most likely spend the weekend.
This is Duterte’s second trip to Brunei, the first was in October 2016. He has been making rounds in neighboring countries since his assumption of power as part of his chairmanship duties in the Asean.
The President’s overnight trip to Brunei is his first time outside Philippine soil since May, when he went to Russia for a four-day official visit to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. However, the trip was cut short due to the unprecedented siege laid by Islamist extremists in Marawi City.