Demanding "climate justice," President Duterte has called on rich countries to take drastic cuts in carbon dioxide emissions and extend financial aid to developing nations so they can with the impact of the climate crisis.

In a virtual regional summit, the President reminded the wealthy nations about their "moral responsibility" to curb their carbon footprint after citing the devastating impact left by two typhoons in the country.

The onslaught of typhoon "Ulysses," which comes on the heels of damage caused by typhoon "Rolly," was another reminder of the urgency to combat the effects of climate change, Duterte pointed out.

"We must amplify our voices to demand climate justice from those most responsible for this existential challenge we face today. Developed countries must lead in deep and drastic cuts in carbon emissions. They must act now, or it would be too late. Or if I may say addedly, it is too late,” Duterte said during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plenary session Thursday.

"They must also deliver on their commitment to finance and invest in innovative adaptation solutions in the developing world. So we too can have a fair shot at progress and sustainable development," he said.

Duterte said there must be "no escape" for these wealthy countries to abide by their moral responsibility to address climate crisis. "Otherwise, it would be great injustice – a double blow to those who bear the brunt of the adverse consequences of their past actions and present inactions," he said.

At the UN climate summit in 2009, rich nations committed to raise $100 billion a year by 2020 to help vulnerable countries rein in greenhouse emissions and cope with future climate impacts. The funds were supposed by come from both the public and private sectors. Reports however recently indicated that rich nations were supposedly giving less money to developing nations for climate mitigation projects.

Rich countries, which burn fossil fuels to grow their economies, have been largely blamed for ecological disaster but the poor ones, which did least to cause the problem, face the gravest consequences.

The President raised the country's latest calamity during the ASEAN summit and explained his decision to leave the meeting early to attend to the situation.

He said the country was battered by Rolly recently and is "now suffering" due to Ulysses. "There is a great damage and I may not be around to attend further in this regard for I have to go around and see what I can do for my people," he said.

Duterte mentioned that many lives were saved following the timely disaster preparedness measures. The typhoon however left a trail of destruction in infrastructure and property, he said.

"This represents a setback for our development agenda, particularly in the affected regions. This calamity is yet another stark reminder of the urgency of collective action to combat the effects of climate change," he added.

Duterte also made a pitch for closer regional cooperation in disaster preparedness and mitigation during the summit. "We must therefore further enhance our cooperation on disaster risk reduction management to reinforce our capacities, both at the national and regional levels," he said.

After attending ASEAN plenary session, the President delivered an address to the nation assuring the government’s assistance to the communities affected by the storm.

Duterte went back to participate in other ASEAN meetings but left again to conduct an aerial inspection of the calamity areas in Metro Manila and nearby areas. After taking the helicopter ride, Duterte returned to the ASEAN summit via video conference.