MANILA, Philippines - In one of his campaign sorties, Rodrigo Duterte asked who would want to go to Mexico with its crime and drug problems, as Mexican Ambassador Julio Camarena Villaseñor listened in the audience.

Duterte did not apologize to the ambassador, who was seated beside the candidate’s running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

But the Mexicans are apparently ready to forget the slight.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has congratulated the Philippines for its recent general elections and expressed confidence that relations between the two countries will remain strong under the administration of incoming president Rodrigo Duterte.

In a brief conversation with Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Eduardo Jose de Vega after receiving his credentials at a ceremony held on May 11 at the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, Nieto inquired about the Philippines’ political and electoral processes, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Nieto also referred to the strong historical and cultural links between both countries and wished all the best for the Filipino people, the DFA said yesterday.

Manila hosted Nieto in a state visit last year that coincided with the annual leaders’ summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum.

As the next Philippine president, Duterte is also expected to be invited by the Mexicans for a return state visit.

The Mexicans have emphasized that crime and drug problems in their country are under control, with more than 31 million foreign tourists visiting Mexico last year, making the country rank ninth among the world’s top tourist destinations in 2015.

De Vega formally presented his Letter of Credence to the Mexican president, officially securing recognition as the fully accredited Philippine ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the United Mexican States.

He was joined by 18 other resident ambassadors who took turns in presenting their credentials to the Mexican president during a three-hour long program. – With Evelyn Macairan