LOOK: Duterte seated far from Obama, Ban KM

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrives at the ASEAN Summit family photo while U.S. President Barack Obama chats with the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah in Vientiane, Laos on Wednesday. Jorge Silva/Reuters

Contrary to a Malacañang press release, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was seated far from U.S. President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during the ASEAN Gala Dinner in Laos on Wednesday night.

Duterte was seated between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Obama, meanwhile, was seated beside Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi.

Duterte made headlines this week after he attacked the US in expletive-laden remarks when asked in a press conference about Obama's plan to discuss with him the human rights situation in the Philippines in light of the government's bloody war on drugs.

Duterte's insulting remarks prompted the White House to cancel what could have been the first meeting between Duterte and Obama on the sidelines of the summit.

Duterte's spokesmen have since said that the president regrets the statements and that the two sides agreed to move the meeting to a later date.

Duterte skipped the ASEAN-UN Summit with Ban earlier Wednesday night. He has also turned down a meeting with Ban on the sidelines of the summit. His office said he could not fit the meeting into his schedule.

Duterte will to fly to Indonesia after attending the ASEAN Summit.

Duterte said he will discuss the case of Filipina drug convict Mary Jane Veloso with Widodo.