MANILA, Philippines — Women’s rights group Gabriela criticized President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest “rape joke” delivered in front of graduating cadets of the Philippine Military Academy.
“The sexist president is doing his infamous rape joke in his comfort zone, the training ground for his macho-fascist state machinery that perpetrates violations on women and the people,” the group said in a statement released Sunday evening.
Duterte joked that he would pardon those who have committed rape earlier the same day during the PMA graduation in Baguio City.
“I’ll pass you this time because I need good and capable soldiers and I know that one or two is bound to happen," Duterte told the graduates.
Gabriela Secretary General Joms Salvador said that by doing so, Duterte is “absolving them from accountability… because they are ’good and capable’ soldiers anyway.”
“No wonder there’s impunity within the military and police—you can get away with offenses big and small as long as you follow the Commander-in-Chief’s orders,” Salvador added.
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GABRIELA slams Duterte’s latest rape joke
“Walang kadala-dala itong bastos na Presidente. Matapos ng matagal na pagkawala sa mata ng publiko, magpapakita siya at maghahasik na naman ng kabastusan. " pic.twitter.com/fWokCrLEMa— GABRIELA (@gabrielaphils) May 26, 2019
The Gabriela official called PMA a “breeding ground for human rights violators” and ended the statement with a call for the youth to “stand up for the people and the country and put misogynists like Duterte in their proper place: in the garbage bins of history.”
While the women's rights groups found the president's latest remarks as "bastos," the crowd at the PMA graduation rites seem to find the "jokes" amusing.
The audience that included the Defense secretary, top military officials and diplomats laughed as Duterte pretended to read out offenses by PMA cadets.
The supposed offenses, which were supposed to be jokes, included rape and multiple rape.
"The Number one is for rape, p***** i**. Ang Number two is drugs with rape with robbery. Para sa Muntinlupa ito. Pangatlo, multiple rape of the women of Baguio. The beautiful ones. Sino 'yan?" Duterte said.
Malacañang, once again, has downplayed Duterte's "jokes," citing that the people have been used to his antics.
"He made some mischievous remarks to make people laugh. People have been used to his jokes hence his audience always receive them with hearty laughter," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Monday. — Philstar.com intern Michelle Co