Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte again "apologized" for his latest incendiary remarks without really apologizing at all.

In a pattern that's become all too common since he became president on June 30, Duterte has made offensive and insulting remarks then indirectly "apologized" for them by having his surrogates such as his official spokesmen or the foreign affairs secretary express his "regrets."

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Duterte has never once gone before the camera to personally apologize in public to the person, country or institution he's insulted.

Not to Pope Francis; not to U.S. president Barack Obama; not to UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon and most certainly not to the innocent Filipinos he's accused of being drug peddlers or drug bosses.

The apparently anti-American Duterte hasn't insulted Chinese president Xi Jinping and probably won't since Duterte's long been accused of being a closet communist or a member of the Philippines' communist party.

Duterte has also publicly said he wants to buy weapons from China and Russia.

The job of explaining to the world Duterte doesn't really mean what he's saying has been left to press secretary Martin Andanar; presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella and foreign affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay.

Lately, Duterte blamed the media through his surrogates for causing "much controversy" stemming from his inflammatory statements.

Duterte last week called Obama "a son of a whore" and Ban "an idiot" for raising the issue of human rights and extrajudicial killings in Duterte's drug war that's killed 2,400 Filipinos so far.

Reading from a prepared statement, Andanar said Duterte regrets the furor ignited by Duterte's calling Obama, "a son of a whore." Andanar, instead, blamed the media for causing and stoking the controversy.

"Pres. Duterte explained that the press reports that Pres. Obama would lecture him on extrajudicial killings led to his strong comments, which in turn elicited concern. He regrets that his remarks to the President have caused much controversy," said Andanar using diplomatic language Duterte would never have used.

And to assuage mounting fears he intends to turn his back on the U.S., the Philippines historical ally, and instead make the Philippines a satellite of China, Duterte's foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay tried his best to claim Duterte's declaration he wanted U.S. troops out of Mindanao was not a signal relations between Washington and Manila will end.

"The president has said ... that we will respect and continue to honor our treaty obligations and commitments," claims Yasay, statements Duterte has never made in public himself.

Yasay also claims the Philippines had no intention of leaving the UN or starting a parallel organization with China and African nations. Duterte made this threat after Ban condemned the extrajudicial killings under Duterte. In reply, Duterte said the Philippines will pull out of the UN.

"I unequivocally condemn his apparent endorsement of extrajudicial killings, which is illegal and a breach of fundamental rights and freedoms," said Ban last June.

Duterte's pattern of insulting and not personally apologizing for his insults fit perfectly with a diagnosis he suffers from an antisocial narcissistic personality disorder.

According to Dr. Natividad Dayan, former president of the International Council of Psychologists who diagnosed Duterte as part of a divorce proceeding, people suffering from this disorder tend to justify their bad behavior.

"For all his wrongdoings, he tends to rationalize and feel justified. Hence, he seldom feels a sense of guilt or remorse," wrote Dr. Dayan in a report submitted to a Philippine court.

She said the hallmarks of a person with an antisocial narcissistic personality are "gross indifference, insensitivity and self-centeredness;" a "grandiose sense of self-entitlement and manipulative behaviors" and a "pervasive tendency to demean, humiliate others and violate their rights and feelings."

TagsRodrigo Duterte, Pope Francis, Barack Obama, Ban Ki Moon, Martin Andanar, Perfecto Yasay, china, Xi Jinping, Dr. Natividad Dayan