US pumalag sa ‘bakla’

“Inappropriate.” Ito ang iginigiit ng Estados Unidos sa naging paha­yag ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na bakla si US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg.

“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,” sa inilabas na kalatas ng US Embassy.

“As stated by Elizabeth Trudeau, Director of the Office of Press Relations at 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,” dagdag pa nito.

Nakasaad din sa nasabing kalatas, ang pagkaalarma ng US sa patuloy na pagdami ng bilang ng nasasawi sa isinasagawan­g operasyon laban sa anti-­illegal drug campaign.

“We are concerned by reports regarding extrajudicial killings of individuals suspected to have been involved in drug activity in the Philippines.

We strongly urge the Philippines to ensure its law enforcement efforts are consistent with its human rights obligations,” sabi pa ng US Embassy.

Nilinaw naman nito na ang $32 milyon na inilaan sa Pilipinas ay magpapatuloy.

“All of our security assistance promotes human rights through training content and by promoting professionalism, due process, and the rule of law.

Our partnership with the Philippines is based on a shared respect for rule of law, and we will continue to emphasize the importance of this fundamental democratic principle,” ayon­ pa rito.