Albayalde on Duterte's rape remark at PMA: 'Obviously a joke'

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde on Monday defended President Rodrigo Duterte following his latest remark about rape.

At a press conference, Albayalde said Duterte's remark about pardoning rape offense at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) was obviously a joke, adding the crime of rape would never be pardoned at PMA.

"That's a very obvious joke. 'Yung sinasabi ni Presidente, 'yung pardon kasi 'yun... that's basically a practice doon sa PMA na pag tradition, pag dumalo 'yung Pangulo ay puwede siyang mag-pardon," Albayalde said.

"Ang offenses sa PMA ay basically doon sa loob like excess demerits, 'yung nahuli ka sa unauthorized na lugar or unshined shoes. Nothing on rape, I can assure you that," he added.

Duterte was the guest of honor and keynote speaker for the PMA graduation rites on Sunday. Toward the end of his speech, he signed a document pardoning all outstanding punishments for the PMA underclassmen.

While signing the pardon papers, Duterte pretended to be reading the offenses to be pardoned, which he said consisted of rape and drug use.

According to Albayalde, himself a PMA graduate, Duterte probably made the remark to entertain the audience. 

"That's up to the President. Hindi naman natin puwedeng sabihin kung ano ang puwede niyang sabihin o hindi... Probably he wants to make everybody happy or gusto niya tumawa mga tao doon," he said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA News