Duterte quips about ‘curing’ his homosexuality

President Rodrigo Duterte cracked a joke once again, this time saying he used to be a gay man, and that he was able to “cure” his homosexuality.

Duterte was criticizing opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in his speech before the Filipino community in Tokyo on Thursday when he asked the audience if they believe the lawmaker is gay.

“Ako nagulat nga ako may katabi ako tapos lumalabas si Trillanes nagmumura, kung anong pinaggagawa sa kabastusan. Tapos kinalabit ako ng, ‘Sir, anong…? Bakla ‘yan siya?’ Sabi kong, ‘Bakla ‘yan,’ sabi niya,” he said.

“Sabi ko, ‘Totoo ka?’ Sabi niya, ‘magtanong ka maski sinong bakla at makita ‘yan siya gumalaw, sabihin mo bakla talaga.’ Kaya pala. Mabuti’t na lang pareho kami ni Trillanes. Pero nagamot ko ang sarili ko,” the President added, drawing laughter from the audience.

The World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental diseases in 1990, but Duterte joked that he was able to cure it [his being a gay].

Duterte said he became a straight man again after he met his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña.

“Noong nakita ko si Mutya [Avanceña], ah sabi ko ito na. P___ ina, naging lalaki ako uli. Pero sabihin mo bakla, eh ano? Bakla man si Duterte, eh ‘di bakla. Wala man akong ano diyan kung bakla ako o hindi. Basta ‘yung mga maganda lang. Ayaw ko na ng gwapo, maganda lang,” he said.

Duterte even said Avanceña was destined to become First Lady.

“No guarantees anong titulo mo, pero hindi ko man masabi na it’s really a destiny maging First Lady ka ng bayang Pilipino. 

Pero kung may gustong sumunod, okay man lang sa akin,” he said.

Duterte added Avanceña’s decision to leave the country to work in the United States years back made him realize that he loved her.

“Iniwan rin niya ako. Pero my God sabi ko, hindi itong babae na ito mahal ko talaga,” he said.

Duterte was previously married to Elizabeth Zimmerman with whom he has three children, including Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. He is now living with Avanceña, the mother of his youngest child Veronica. —LBG, GMA News