President Rodrigo Duterte speaks to the Filipino community at the Palace Hotel in Tokyo, Japan on May 30, 2019. Robinson Niñal, Malacañang Photo
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday he hopes Filipinos could emulate the traits of the Japanese people.
Duterte, who is on the last day of his 4-day working visit, expressed his admiration for the Japanese, known to have high regard for laws and proper manners.
"I won the presidency on a platform of law and order. I wish to see the Philippines that is like Japan," he said in his keynote address at the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia.
"The people's commitment to follow the law where civic-mindedness is so developed that people instinctively refrain from actions that are detrimental to society as a whole," he said.
The Philippine leader also quipped: "I love, we love, Japan."
Duterte's trip is his third to Japan during his presidency. On Thursday, he went shopping in Tokyo with partner Honeylet Avanceña, checking out clothes and gadgets.
Tokyo is Manila's top source of development assistance and is its second top trading partner next to China.