President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada have congratulated Donald Trump for his victory in the U.S. presidential election held on November 8.
Duterte and Trudeau welcomed the election of Trump, a real estate magnate and businessman, as the 45th president of the U.S.
The U.S. and Canada both have substantial Filipino populations.
Speaking to the Filipino community in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 9, Duterte gave congratulatory remarks to Trump, whom he said shared a similar trait with him.
“I would like to congratulate President Trump,” Duterte said. “Mabuhay ka. Pareho tayo nagmumura [Long live. We both curse].”
Duterte is on an official two-day visit to Malaysia, right after visiting Thailand to pay respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Earlier, minutes after Trump was elected to the White House, Duterte had sent his warm congratulations through a statement from Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.
Duterte wished Trump success in his next four years as Chief Executive and commander-in chief of the U.S. military.
Duterte said he is excited to work with the incoming U.S. administration.
“President Duterte looks forward to working with the incoming administration for enhanced Philippines-US relations anchored on mutual respect, mutual benefit, and shared commitment to democratic ideals and the rule of law,” the statement read.
Duterte is sometimes called “Trump of the East” for his unrestrained rants and occasional lewd remarks.
Duterte won the election in May 2016 by a huge margin and is often compared with Trump, having himself been the alternative candidate from outside of national politics.
He campaigned on a populist, anti-establishment platform and struck a chord among ordinary Filipinos with his promises to fix what he called a broken country.
Teddy Locsin Jr, Duterte’s incoming ambassador to the United Nations, said there were a few parallels between Trump, who stunned the world by defeating rival Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, and Duterte.
“I remember Trump in the middle of one of his statements, he said ‘I will not talk like this after I become president’,” Locsin said on TV. “I remember someone who also said the same thing.”
Trudeau of Canada issued a statement congratulating Trump.
“Canada has no closer friend, partner, and ally than the United States. We look forward to working very closely with President-elect Trump, his administration, and with the United States Congress in the years ahead, including on issues such as trade, investment, and international peace and security,” Trudeau said in his statement.
The Canadian prime minister also said: “The relationship between our two countries serves as a model for the world. Our shared values, deep cultural ties, and strong integrated economies will continue to provide the basis for advancing our strong and prosperous partnership.”