Following a story about the sexual harassment of a maid, the Philippine president is provoked by fierce indignation from the people. Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday in an agency report on December 29 in a speech in detail how he passed away as a teenager at a maid.
In women’s rights activists of the country, the statement caused disgust. They demanded Duterte’s resignation. „This latest confession has not only brought shame on him, but also on the entire nation that trusted him to govern rationally and righteously,“ said women’s rights group Gabriela. A Filipino Twitter user called Duterte „disgusting,“ even if the story were made up: „Inventing rape stories as a joke is just as disgusting,“ he wrote.
Duttert spokesman weighed down the statements of the President. Duterte had wanted to dramatize „the sexual abuse he experienced as a minor at a Catholic school“ in his inimitable allegorical style, Salvador Panelo said. Duterte does not notice sexist and misogynist comments for the first time. As he said in a speech in August: „As long as there are many beautiful women, there are also many rape cases.“
