President Rodrigo Duterte said he felt "like a saint" after his phone conversation last week with US President-elect Donald Trump, who he said praised him for "doing great" in his strong campaign against illegal drugs.
He said in a speech that Trump told him not to worry about Americans criticizing him, saying "you are doing good, go ahead."
Trump invited him for coffee if he visits Washington or New York, and told him he wanted to hear how Duterte deals with the media, his critics and the public, the Philippine president said.
"'Oh President Duterte, we should fix our bad relations ... you're doing great," he quoted Trump as saying. "So now, if you listen to Trump talk to me, I have become like a saint."
Duterte called to congratulate Trump late Friday.
In earlier comments about the phone call, President Duterte said Trump wished that his crackdown on illegal drugs would succeed, and said he assured the US president-elect the Philippines would maintain its ties with America.
