H.E. Rodrigo R. Duterte, President of the Republic of the Philippines, was in Auckland, New Zealand on 18 November 2016 and 22-23 November 2016, during stopovers on his way to and from Lima, Peru where he had attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting on 19-20 November 2016.

Ambassador Jesus S. Domingo accompanied by Philippine Honorary Consul General to Auckland, Atty. Paulo Garcia, assisted and met President Duterte and his Official Delegation on 18 November 2016 during the Presidential flight’s technical stop at Auckland enroute to Lima, Peru. On 22 November 2016, Ambassador Domingo accompanied by Minister and Consul General Arlene Gonzales-Macaisa, Ms. Ma. Victoria Reyes, Cultural Officer, and Ms. Ma. Katrina Ciara P. Garcia, Information Officer, were at hand to receive President Duterte and his delegation when they arrived in Auckland for the stopover on the way back to the Philippines.

The President’s Official Delegation included Cabinet Ministers, namely, Secretary of Finance Carlos G. Dominguez III, Secretary of National Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, Presidential Communications Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar, National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon as well as Senator Allan Peter Cayetano, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go, Chief of Presidential Protocol Ambassador Marciano Paynor, Jr., and Mayor Maria Laarni Cayetano of Taguig.

On 22 November 2016, President Duterte received New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Murray McCully, when he made a courtesy call on the President. Those present include Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. Minister McCully was accompanied by Mr. Stephen Harris, Divisional Manager, South and South East Asia Division, and Mr. Lawry Perrott, Policy Officer, South and South East Asia Division of New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The discussion between the President and Minister McCully touched on a wide range of topics including the two countries’ desire to boost bilateral cooperation, particularly through improved trade and investment in key areas such as the dairy industry cooperation, people-to-people cooperation, and high-level exchanges as well as exchanging views on domestic and international developments

During the meeting, President Duterte took the opportunity to express sympathy for the victims of the strong earthquake that hit New Zealand's South Island on 14 November 2016. He also thanked the New Zealand Government for the welcome and assistance it extended to him and his delegation during his brief stopovers in Auckland.

President Duterte also took the time to greet members of the Filipino community and took photos with them while he was in Auckland. On his final day in New Zealand, the President extended his “warm wishes to all Filipinos” in New Zealand and stated that he would “like to urge the Filipinos to be just like New Zealanders, well-behaved and following the law”.