Hontiveros blasts Duterte’s ‘feudal’ behavior: No way for ‘father of the nation’ to act

Senator Risa Hontiveros likened President Rodrigo Duterte to a feudal lord when he kissed a woman on the lips during his meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea on Sunday.

“It was a despicable display of sexism and grave abuse of authority. President Duterte acted like a feudal king who thinks that being the President is an entitlement to do anything that he pleases,” Hontiveros said in a press statement on Monday.

She said even if the act was consensual, it was the President, possessed of awesome, even intimidating, power, who initiated it.

“It was not a meeting of two consenting individuals on equal terms. Uneven power relations were clearly at play. And President Duterte took advantage of that severe power disparity,” she said.

The incident happened when Duterte was handing out a book about corruption in the Catholic Church. He asked the audience who wanted to get a copy of the book “Altar of Secrets,” saying only women should get on the stage as he wants a kiss in exchange for the book.

Two excited women went up the stage and he kissed one of them on the lips after handing her the book, amid loud cheers from the audience.

Duterte, who is in South Korea on a three-day official visit, downplayed his antics, saying he only wanted to "get close" to his countrymen.

'No way to act'

Hontiveros also appealed to the public not to pass judgement on the woman, saying the President should have acted appropriately on such occasion.

“I appeal to the public not to pass judgment on the Filipina overseas worker. President Duterte, being the head of the state, should have acted with great restraint, respect and judiciousness, something which is expected of the position he holds, especially a leader dubbed by his defenders as ‘tatay,” she said.

“That is no way for a so-called father of the nation to act,” she added.

The senator also called on the public to exercise vigilance and discernment as the incident could be a diversionary tactic from the issues now hounding the administration.

“At a time when the government's subservient response to China's threats is being exposed and the President's Solicitor General is accused of massive corruption, this antic could be a diversionary tactic aided by misogyny. As we express our disgust with this awful act of sexism and abuse of authority, let us keep our eye equally on the sovereignty and corruption issues plaguing this administration,” she said. — BM, GMA News