IT WAS “inappropriate and unacceptable” for President Rodrigo Duterte to call United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg an “annoying homosexual son of a whore,” the American Embassy said in a statement on Friday.
The embassy released its statement days after Duterte insulted Goldberg, who is waiting to be posted to another country.
“We have seen reports of inappropriate and unacceptable comments made about Ambassador Goldberg, a multi-time ambassador and one of the US Department of State’s most senior diplomats,” the embassy said.
It said United States Department of State spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau summoned the Philippine chargé d’ Affairés to Washington DC Patrick Chuasoto to convey its views on Duterte’s remarks.
“As stated by Elizabeth Trudeau, director of the Office of Press Relations at the US Department of State, the Philippine Chargé was asked to come to the State Department so we could directly convey our view that the comments were inappropriate and unacceptable. We do not go into details of those diplomatic discussions,” the embassy said.
In Washington, meanwhile, the US criticized Indonesia on Thursday for saying there is “no room” for the gay community in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
“We encourage Indonesia, which rightly prides itself on diversity and tolerance, to respect and uphold international rights and standards by ensuring equal rights and protections for all its citizens,” Trudeau told reporters.
On Monday, Duterte criticized Goldberg and called him “gay” in a speech during his visit to Camp Panacan in Davao City.
Duterte told the soldiers he and Goldberg disagreed during the presidential campaign after Duterte made a joke about the rape and murder of Australian missionary Jacqueline Hamill during the 1989 Davao City prison riot.
“I am okay with him,” Duterte said of US Secretary of State John Kerry, before adding: “I quarreled with his gay ambassador. I am pissed with him. He meddled during the election, giving statements here and there. He was not supposed to do that.”
The US Embassy also echoed the concern of Trudeau over the spate of summary killings in the Philippines.
The embassy reminded the Philippines that it had been a recipient of a $32-million fund from the US to promote human rights and security.
It called on the Philippines to observe the rule of law and due process.
“The assistance provided by these funds is subject to the same rigorous vetting as our other security assistance,” the embassy said.
“All of our security assistance promotes human rights through training content and by promoting professionalism, due process and the rule of law,” the embassy said.
“Our partnership with the Philippines is based on a shared respect for the rule of law, and we will continue to emphasize the importance of this fundamental democratic principle.”
The embassy said it was concerned at the reports it received regarding the summary killing of suspected drug users and pushers.
The Philippine National Police has said a total of 402 drug suspects have been killed while nearly 600,000 others have surrendered since the Duterte administration waged its war against the illegal drug trade on July 1.