Rodrigo Duterte pictured meeting Australian spy chief Nick Warner – rare and surprising

In a rare and surprising public appearance, Australian spy chief Nick Warner is pictured posing for photos with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

It’s not a photo you see every day — the strongman and the spy chief.

Nick Warner, the head of Australia’s international spy agency ASIS, stands next to one of South-East Asia’s most controversial leaders, Rodrigo Duterte.

The Philippines President, whose war on drugs has claimed thousands of lives and drawn furious condemnation from human rights groups across the globe, raises his hand in his trademark clenched fist.

And so does Mr Warner.

The two men met in the Malacañang Palace in Manila on Tuesday. A spokesman for Mr Duterte said the meeting was “basically a courtesy call” and the two men, “touched on regional security issues and declaration of mutual support”.

There would have been lots to discuss. The Philippines has been waging a furious campaign against Islamist militants in the city of Marawi. And Australia is increasingly worried about the flow of foreign fighters back into South-East Asia from wars in the Middle East.

Last week, Australia formally listed Islamic State in East Asia — which attempted to wrest control of Marawi from the Philippines Government — as a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Source: Rodrigo Duterte pictured meeting Australian spy chief Nick Warner – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)