Presidency not for women? That’s dad’s opinion, says Sara

MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday brushed aside the comments of her father, President Duterte, that the presidency is “not for women” when he expressed opposition to her running for president in 2022.

“That is his opinion. And it is up to the people if they will respect or react violently (to it),” she said at her City Disaster Radio program a day after the President made the remarks.

The mayor emerged at the top of a recent mock poll on the possible candidates for president in next year’s elections, but the President shot down the idea.

“My daughter, they are encouraging her (to run for president in 2022). I have told Inday (Sara) not to run because I pity (her), knowing she will have to go through what I am going through,” Duterte said in English and Filipino at the launch of the Skyway Stage 3 project last Thursday.

“This is not for women. You know, the emotional setup of a woman and a man is totally different. You will become a fool here. So... that is the sad story,” he added.

His remarks sparked controversy in a country that has elected two women presidents – Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Also, leaders of Germany and New Zealand are women.

Responding to criticisms from women’s rights advocates, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. defended the President over his remark made in the context of a father-daughter relationship.

“He’s been through hell and just wants to spare his daughter the same journey. It will run counter to the human rights of women only if it is denied by law, by executive order, by social prejudice and any other constraint. But verbal, I think not,” Locsin said in a post on Twitter.

“In reaction to his daughter running to replace him, which she has repeatedly unequivocally turned down. Now that’s class; no other Filipino family has ever scorned power so deeply intergenerationally. But the way of putting it was admittedly sighing. C’mon, give him his due,” he said in another post.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary was reacting to a post by women’s rights advocate Elizabeth Angsioco that Duterte’s statement “runs counter to the human rights of women.”

“We’re back to the stone age. It is perspectives like this that result in the country not being able to harness women’s potentials & skills. The country loses in the end. This also runs counter to the human rights of women,” Angsioco wrote on Twitter.

Joining other women’s rights advocates in slamming the opinion raised by Duterte, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said his remarks would not faze Filipino women.

“Filipino women have endured and overcome more than his presidency, and we will help take it back for a more worthy administration,” she said.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who belongs to the opposition Liberal Party, has yet to comment on the Duterte’s remark that women are not cut out to be president.