Washington, Aug 9 (IANS): The US government summoned the charge d'affaires of the Philippine embassy to clarify the "inappropriate comments" made by President Rodrigo Duterte about American Ambassador Philip Goldberg.

"We have seen those inappropriate comments made about (US) Ambassador (Philip) Goldberg. He's a multi-time ambassador, one of our most senior diplomats," Xinhua news agency quoted US State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau as saying on Monday.

Duterte reportedly called Goldberg a "gay ambassador" and "son of a bitch" during a recent meeting with soldiers.

"I am pissed with him. He meddled during the election, giving statements here and there. He was not supposed to do that," Duterte was quoted as saying on the occasion.

Goldberg told media in April that the US did not condone anyone who either degrades women or trivializes issues as serious as rape, referring to the joke made by Duterte during his campaign about the rape and murder case involving Australian missionary Jacqueline Hamill in 1989.