Hontiveros tells Duterte: 'Beauty doesn't cause rape, rapists do'

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Saturday criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for his latest rape joke, and said he "should stop blaming women" for the increasing number of rape cases.

"Rape is not a measure of beauty. It is not an act of admiration. It is the vilest form of violence against women. I ask President Rodrigo Duterte: is this how men admire women?" she said in a statement sent to media.

"President Duterte should stop blaming women and how we look and dress for the growing number of rape cases. Beauty doesn't cause rape, rapists do. Rape is the fault of the rapist," she added.

On Thursday, Duterte made a comment about Davao City's high number of reported rape cases in the second quarter of 2018—a total of 42, according to the Philippine National Police.

"Ingon sila nga daghang rape ang Davao. Basta daghang guwapa, daghang rape (Ang sabi nila marami raw rape sa Davao. Basta maraming maganda, maraming rape)," Duterte said in a speech at the celebration of Mandaue City's charter day.

"It is very disturbing to see a President who makes jokes about rape," Hontiveros said.

Gabriela Women's Party on Friday condemned Duterte's recent remark linking a woman's beauty to rape, calling it a "flamboyant display of misogyny."

Jean Enriquez, co-initiator of #BabaeAko and executive director of Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific, appealed to Duterte to stop making statements that seem to encourage rape.

Malacañang on Friday defended Duterte, saying the chief executive's statement should not be taken seriously.

"I think the President is mature enough to know to what extent he can go and he thinks that it is not putting it too low," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a news conference.

But Hontiveros said the joke is not funny.

"And to those who defend it by calling it a joke, and by telling us not to give it too much weight, I can assure you that no rape victim or survivor, no woman—since every woman is at risk in this rape culture—ever finds it funny," she said.

Duterte's daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, has acknolwedged the report of the PNP on the rape cases in the city, and said the problem is being addressed by the city government. —KG, GMA News