Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, called US ambassador names in televised remarks. (Reuters)
The first rule of diplomacy?
Don't call a foreign envoys the "gay son of a whore."
But that's exactly what Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, did in televised remarks made Friday. Now Washington has reportedly summoned Manila's charge d'affaires in Washington to complain, in what must have been a rather awkward meeting.
Duterte, a fast-talking former mayor who swept to power this spring, was telling reporters about his relationship with U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg when he made the wildly homophobic - and utterly undiplomatic - remark.
"As you know, I'm fighting with [U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's] ambassador. His gay ambassador, the son of a whore. He pissed me off," Duterte said.
During this year's election campaign, Duterte drew national and international condemnation for saying he wished he had "been first" to rape an Australian missionary who was assaulted and killed during a prison riot. The Australian ambassador objected, as did Goldberg. Duterte told them both to "shut up."
The not-so-presidential comments come at a sensitive time.
With China pressing its claims to a vast swath of the South China Sea, the Philippines and the U.S. have moved to deepen their long-standing military alliance. A defense pact upheld this year allows the U.S. military to build facilities at five Philippine bases, and more U.S. ships than ever are stopping by the former U.S. naval base at Subic Bay.
But Duterte has gone back and forth on his relationship with the United States, a fact that has raised questions about how he'll handle a potential conflict in the South China Sea.
During his campaign, Duterte said he might be willing to make a deal with China in return for major infrastructure spending in his home district, then quixotically vowed to ride a jet-ski to disputed waters. As president, he has thus far taken a more restrained approach, potentially laying the groundwork for better ties with China.
Duterte is also facing criticism from the United States and others over a bloody crackdown on alleged drug dealers.
Since Duterte took office, more than 400 suspected drug dealers have been killed, 4,400 arrested, and more than 600,000 people have surrendered themselves to authorities to avoid being killed, reported The Associated Press.
"We are concerned by these detentions, as well as the extrajudicial killing of individuals suspected to be involved in drug activity in the Philippines," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said Monday.
Goldberg is not the first dignitary to be subjected to crude comments from Duterte. The now-president once made headlines for calling the pope a "son of a whore."
Duterte later issued a letter of apology and said he would fly to the Vatican to apologize. He then backpedaled on the visit bit.
© 2016 The Washington Post
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