Duterte flies to Russia for 2nd time to meet 'idol' Putin

The Philippine president has left for Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and press efforts to broaden relations while maintaining robust ties with treaty ally the United States.

President Rodrigo Duterte left Manila late Tuesday with his defense, finance and economic secretaries and other key Cabinet officials for the Oct. 1-5 visit to Russia. His first trip in May 2017 was cut short due to a major attack by Islamic State group-linked militants in the southern Philippines.

After taking office in mid-2016, Duterte took steps to mend relations with China which were damaged by territorial conflicts and reach out to Putin, whom he has described as “my idol,” while often criticizing U.S. security policies.