Duterte urges couples to limit children to 3

MANILA, Philippines — Blaming poverty on the country’s large population, President Duterte has urged Filipino couples to limit their children to three.

The President made the appeal during his visit to victims of Typhoon Odette in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on Thursday.

“Once I went to the mountains and saw a child crying, rolling on the ground because there were ants. I said, ‘Whose child is this? Where’s the guardian?’ ‘Wala? (Not here?)’ There was another kid there and he said, ‘That’s my sibling.’ ‘Where’s your father?’ ‘Sir, he’s in the cockpit.’ ‘What about your mother?’ Well, she might be busy being a ‘Marites’ and gossiping with the neighbors. And they have six or seven children. So, I had the father called and I told him, ‘P***** i**, if you don’t stop having children, I’ll cut off your penis,’” Duterte said.

He urged Filipinos to do family planning so they can give their children a good life.

“But seriously, just limit your children to two or three. There are family planning centers here. Just ask for the… You just need to drink it. This isn’t for the men, OK? This isn’t for erectile dysfunction. It’s for women so they don’t get pregnant. Don’t have too many children,” Duterte said.

“I get frustrated over this, when I step down from the presidency, I’ll look at the Philippines and tell you not to have too many children. I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry looking at children growing up with a hard life and they find it difficult to pay for their education or to buy food. Just have enough,” he said.

The President then asked the audience who among them have six children, noting how some Filipinos defy advice when it comes to family planning.

“Who among you here has six children? Looks like someone here will have his penis cut off because there’s no other solution. If you give them advice, they don’t take it. You give them pills, they refuse to drink it. So, let’s just chop off that thing instead. But the wives will cry over that,” he said.

Duterte first proposed the three-child policy in the country in 2016.