HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, yesterday sent a message of condolences to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte following a deadly blast in Davao City.
In the message, the monarch said he was saddened to learn of the explosion that caused the loss of lives.
“Brunei Darussalam stands firm in solidarity with the Philippines in condemning such a terrorist act.”
In ending the message, His Majesty, the government and people of Brunei extend their deepest condolences and sympathies to the president, government and people of the Philippines, especially to the families affected by the blast.
Meanwhile, Duterte has postponed his trip to Brunei following the blast that plunged the country into a “state of lawlessness”.
In a statement issued yesterday, Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Meynardo LB Montealegre announced the postponement of the visit “to a later date due to pressing matters” in the republic and that updates will be disseminated once obtained.
However, it remains unclear when the president will reschedule his visit to the sultanate, which would have been his first foreign trip since being elected last June.
Duterte was previously expected to touch down in Brunei this afternoon and end his visit tomorrow. He was scheduled to His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, to discuss bilateral relations.
The president was also slated to hold a gathering with some of the 23,000-strong overseas Filipinos currently residing in the country.
Although the two-day visit to Brunei is no longer on the table, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar yesterday said Duterte will push through with his trip to Laos to attend the ASEAN Summit from September 6 to 8.
The president yesterday placed the Philippines under a “state of lawlessness” after a powerful explosion in his hometown killed at least 14 people and injured dozens on Friday.
The Brunei Times
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