Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte boards his limousine upon arrival in Vientiane, Laos. Credit:AP When asked about his language, he once replied: "For every profanity there's a story behind it. People should go beyond my cussing." But now he has risked upsetting the United States, his country's most important ally, in relentlessly pursuing an anti-crime campaign which he insists will not end until every drug pusher and manufacturer are killed. Police said little Althea's death was "collateral" damage in Duterte's war on drugs, which has been condemned by the US, the United Nations, the Catholic Church and many civil society organisations in the Philippines. They said Althea's father, Pim Alrick Barbon, had been put on a list of drug suspects and was carrying a gun and drugs when he took Althea shopping.

Althea Barbon and her father Alrick "We regret a lot that a child was killed when she was not the target," said Denila Katalbas, the police chief in Guihulngan City. "Had we seen the child we would not have pushed through with the operation. We would have cancelled. We policemen are humans, we are not animals," he added. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte steps down the plane as he embarks on his first foreign trip to Vientiane, Laos. Credit:AP Althea's death came only days after a five-year-old girl was shot dead by unidentified gunmen who attacked a home in Dagupan City, north of Manila.

The bullet in that case was meant for her grandfather, who has also been put on a drug suspect list. Witnesses, whose parents were killed allegedly by police, testify before the Philippine Senate which is probing the extra judicial killings related to President Rodrigo Duterte's "War on Drugs". Credit:AP Duterte made his comments about Obama as he was about to board a plane for Laos, his first international summit as president, in response to suggestions that the American leader might criticise his policies on human rights grounds. "You must be respectful. Do not throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore. I will curse you in that forum," he told reporters. "We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you (talk) that to me." Duterte said he is "a president of a sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony".

"Who is he to confront me? As a matter of fact, America has one too many (killings) to answer for," he said. "Everybody has a terrible record of extrajudicial killings." Duterte added that he did not believe the subject of extrajudicial killings should be raised at such a summit. "It is rude," he said. When Obama first heard about Duterte's comments he told his aides to establish whether he could have "constructive, productive conversations" with his Philippines counterpart, joking that he was a "colourful guy". Duterte seemed to have tempered his language by the time he arrived in the sleepy Laotian capital Vientiane late on Monday, telling reporters "I don't want to quarrel with Obama], He's the most powerful president of any country on the planet." But Duterte was still railing against US officials who he said "keep mouthing" statements on human rights.

Obama's spokesman Ned Price then announced that he would not meet Duterte but would instead spend time with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. "I always want to make sure that if I'm having a meeting that it's actually productive and we're getting something done," Obama had said earlier. Later on Tuesday Duterte backed away from his tirade, saying he looks forward to "ironing out our differences arising out of national priorities and perceptions". "While the immediate cause was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the US President," he said in a statement issued from his office. Loading

Duterte has dismissed comparisons with US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Yet despite his foul-mouthed tirades and undiplomatic approach, Duterte's popularity in the Philippines remains above 90 per cent, polls show, as the bodies keep piling up in a country with one of Asia's highest rates of drug use and crime.