Gabriela condemns Duterte's latest rape joke

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

"We strongly condemn this latest flamboyant display of misogyny, which places more Filipino women at risk of rape," Gabriela said in a statement Friday.

The group issued the statement a day after Duterte, in a speech in Mandaue City, joked that Davao City has a high number of reported rape cases because it has many beautiful women.

Gabriela said by making such claim, Duterte "sends yet again a very dangerous and distorted message... that a woman's beauty is a cause of rape."

"This latest theatric only confirms one thing: President Duterte is proud to have rolled back whatever gains and legal mechanisms that have been instituted for women's rights in Davao City," it said.

Gabriela said a person "who finds humor in demeaning women and enabling rapists is not fit to be President."

"We encourage more women to join the #BabaeAko and #LabananAngAbuso campaigns to vigorously fight back misogyny and abuse openly endorsed by the chief executive," it said.

American news magazine TIME recently declared the women behind the #BabaeAko campaign as among the most influential people on the internet. —KBK, GMA News