Philippine president Duterte did not 'curse at Chinese leader Xi Jinping' in regional summit speech

A video has been viewed thousands of times in Facebook and YouTube posts that claim it shows Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte cursing at Chinese President Xi Jinping. The posts circulated online as Duterte condemned a recent flare-up in the disputed South China Sea in remarks delivered at an Asian regional summit hosted by Xi. But these posts are misleading; the video shows a Duterte supporter reacting to his remarks. Actual footage of Duterte's speech shows he did not curse at Xi as the posts claim.

The video was shared on YouTube on November 25.

It had been viewed over 20,000 times before it was taken down.

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Screenshot of misleading post taken on November 25.

Tagalog-language text overlaid on the video's thumbnail translates as: "You son of a whore! President Duterte lauded for his courage because he cursed at Chinese president! No more whore China!"

Its title states: "DUTERTE CURSED THE CHINESE PRESIDENT? FOR INSULTING FILIPINOS? NO MORE CHINESE LAPDOG!"

In a speech delivered during the ASEAN-China Special Summit 2021 hosted by Xi in November, Duterte condemned the latest flare-up in the disputed South China Sea after Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannon at Filipino boats.

Duterte's remarks were unusually strong for a leader who has fostered warmer ties with Beijing since taking power in 2016 in the hope of extracting promised investment and trade.

It is not clear if Xi was participating in the meeting when Duterte spoke. AFP reported on his remarks here.

The same video claiming that Duterte swore at Xi was also shared on Facebook here, here and here.

Comments on the posts show they misled social media users.

"We salute you President Duterte. When it comes to problems like this, he even swears at Catholic priests," one user wrote.

"It’s okay to condemn China but he should not have uttered expletives," another commented.

But the posts are misleading.

A Tagalog-speaking AFP journalist analysed the video featured in the misleading posts and found it does not show Duterte cursing at Xi as the posts claim. Rather, it features a Duterte supporter lauding the Philippine president for his remarks during the summit.

"Now I challenge you to call President Duterte a coward," the man is heard saying in the video.

"The president just said he abhorred China firing water cannons at our vessels. He said that in front of the Chinese president during the China-ASEAN summit," the man says.

A review of the official recording of Duterte’s speech at the ASEAN-China Special Summit on November 22 found Duterte did not use expletives against Xi.

But he did issue unusually strong remarks.

"We abhor the recent event in the Ayungin Shoal and view with grave concern other similar developments. This does not speak well of the relations between our nations and our partnership," Duterte is heard saying at the video's five-minute 49-second mark.

No expletives were indicated in the official transcript of his speech at the summit published here.