Pushing family planning, Duterte teases barker with 11 kids: 'Ipaputol na'

Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte maintained his strong push for family planning, even as he clarified reports of his preference for a "three children per family" policy.

In a report by Ian Cruz on "State of the Nation" on Tuesday, the Davao City mayor said the policy would not be mandatory.

"No, I cannot force people to follow. We're just suggesting that you will be in good hands if you will limit the number of your children," he said.

Still, he said his government will have implement comprehensive reproductive health programs, running in direct opposition to the Catholic Church, which favors only natural family planning methods. About 80 percent of the Philippines' 100 million population are Catholics.

Duterte has criticized the Church this past week as the "most hypocritical institution", meddling in government policies and said some bishops were enriching themselves at the expense of the poor.

In Davao, he recently made a visit to a couple — Julicio and Cristy — that had 11 children.

When informed that he made a living as a jeepney barker, Duterte joked: "Ipapuputol oten aning yawa (Let's cut off his thing)."

He then instructed his aide Bong Go to send a family planning kit to the ocuple.

On Monday, Cristy attended a seminar at the City Health Office for family planning. She also got an injection for a subdermal implant which would keep her from getting pregnant for three years.

"Kung ako lang, mas gusto ko mas konti ang anak. Mas disente ang buhay," she said. —JST, GMA News