Duterte's remark to Bohol town mayor normal for rotting garbage

Women's group Gabriela said Friday that President Rodrigo Duterte's sexual remarks to a mayor in Bohol doesn't surprise them anymore as it is normal for him to say so, as it is as natural for cockroaches to swarm rotting garbage.

"No wonder the cockroach cozied itself with the President in Bohol as he yet again spewed putrid material –this time flaunting his machismo on Garcia-Hernandez Mayor Tita Baja-Gallantes during a local campaign rally on Wednesday night," Gabriela said in a statement.

In that Bohol encounter with Mayor Gallantes, Duterte said: “If it were me, why would I ever break up with you? I will really grab and hold on to your panty if you try to leave, even until the garter snaps. You’re just too beautiful.”

It was also in the same speech when a cockroach landed on Duterte’s shoulder  and crawled across the front of his shirt.

In reaction to Duterte's misogynistic remark, Gabriela said, "Talagang dumadapo ang ipis sa basurang bulok, at malinaw na kasama sa dinadapuan nito ay ang yung may bastos at basurang bunganga gaya ng sa Pangulo."

Again, it slammed Duterte's derogatory remarks against women, and urged voters to not elect officials tolerating misogyny.

"We in Gabriela Women's Party strongly condemn this sick and disgusting display of machismo, infidelity and ethical bankruptcy. We call on women to make May 13 elections a platform for the resounding rejection of misogyny and macho-fascist leadership. Duterte allies who'd never bat an eye every time the President degrades, humiliates, and sexualizes women do not deserve election to public office."

Speaking at a campaign rally on Wednesday night, Duterte showered praise on Tita Baja-Gallantes, the mayor of Garcia Hernandez town which hosted the event in support of the gubernatorial bid of former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio "Jun" Evasco Jr., a longtime aide of the President.

Several quarters had criticized Duterte for his derogatory remarks against women, including linking women’s beauty to rape, ordering troops to shoot female rebels in the vagina, joking about the gang rape and murder of an Australian missionary, and telling soldiers to rape women in Marawi at the height of the military campaign against the Islamic State-inspired Maute group that laid siege to the city in 2017.

He also drew criticism for claiming that he “touched” his maid when he was a teenager and kissing a Filipino woman on stage during his visit to South Korea in June last year.

Malacañang, however, said that the President is not anti-women. —Jamil Santos/LBG, GMA News