US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg expressed position not to comment on the series of pronouncements of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte against the United States.
This was the answer of the US official when asked by the media in Manila after Duterte told US President Barack Obama ‘to go to hell’ and other tirades of the former Davao City mayor.
Goldberg was at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on Wednesday to receive an award from the lawmakers, who approved House Resolution No. 15, which cites among others his efforts in further enriching ties between the US and the Philippines.
At a media briefing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Goldberg was asked for his comments about Duterte’s heavily worded statements in the public not only against the US, but also to other international bodies like the United Nations and European Union.
Goldberg said, “I am a diplomat and I don’t respond to those kinds of comments quite frankly. I don’t think it’s productive.”
He added that reacting to such comments by the President would not be consistent with his role as an ambassador to promote the great friendship between the peoples of our two countries.
“None of that is something that I would respond to. I think that it is better to focus on the important work that we do together,” he said, adding, “I don’t respond to or take personally comments such as the ones you mentioned.”
To note, the resolution that the congressmen have passed said that it was under Goldberg’s ambassadorship that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the US was signed, during the time by then President Benigno Aquino III.
The House resolution also acknowledged that EDCA has provided the enhanced humanitarian assistance and military modernization to the Philippine troops.
To recall, Duterte keeps on pronouncing that he wants the joint military exercises of the Philippine and US troops not to continue.