MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte showed up a bit “unkempt” in a formal meeting with Russian Prime Minister (PM) Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow, a foreign journalist noticed.
Russian radio editor and podcaster Pavel Vondra Thursday posted on Twitter a photo of Medvedev and Duterte, who had a loose necktie and an open collar.
“Rodrigo #Duterte showed up a bit unkempt for the meeting with the Russian PM Medvedev in Moscow and the Russian internet is having a blast: Did he drink all night? Did he just leave the pub? Do Filipinos know what a protocol is?” Vondra said.
In one of the photos of that meeting, Duterte was seen wearing a dark grey suit that appeared to have been taken off a mall rack, a white shirt with unbuttoned collar that needed some ironing, and a loose tie that some observers suggested seemed to have been pre-knotted.
He was shaking the hand of Medvedev who, in contrast, was wearing a tailored suit, a neatly pressed shirt and a tie with the knot pulled up to close the collar.
Accompanied in Vondra’s tweet was a screen caption of social media comments supposedly about Duterte’s appearance which were written in Russian.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo or any Malacañang official has yet to issue a statement to the comments on Duterte’s appearance.
President Duterte, who was criticized for folding the sleeves of his barong in an event here before, have earlier said that he dresses to be comfortable and not to impress other people.
Duterte is on a five-day official visit to Moscow and Sochi for discussions with Russian political and business leaders, speaking engagements and meeting with the Filipino community./PN