VP Binay hits Duterte's non-apology over rape joke

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday slammed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte over his refusal to apologize for joking about the rape and killing of an Australian lay minister in 1989, saying nothing can justify his callous remarks.

At the sidelines of his sortie in Cagayan de Oro City, Binay took the mayor to task for his controversial statement on the issue after the video of his controversial speech became viral online.

Referring to Duterte,  Binay said: "Itong si berdugo, pinagbibintangan akong nangangatal. Siya ngayon ang nangangatal. Ang puso niya kasi hindi niya malaman kung ano ang sasabihin. Earlier, I think, kahapon ang sabi niya nagbibiro lang siya. Ngayon, iba na itong lumalabas sa dyaryo. It was no joke. So which is which? Babala-balandra itong isinasagot na ito."

In a taped interview Sunday afternoon, Duterte explained that his statement was just an expression of anger over the crime.

"Totoo yon. Sinabi ko 'yon. Gutter language, but it was expressed in utter anger," he said.

In a YouTube video uploaded by user "Beatboxer Ng Pinas," Duterte can be seen and heard recounting a 1989 Davao City prison riot, during which five visiting missionaries were killed. Among those killed was Australian lay missionary Jacqueline Hamill, who was also raped by inmates.

Duterte was heard saying, "P-- ina, sayang. Ang napasok sa isip ko, ni-rape nila, pinagpilahan nila lahat doon."

He added, "Nagalit ako kasi ni-rape? Oo. Isa rin 'yun. Pero napakaganda, dapat mayor muna ang nauna. Sayang."

While unapologetic about his remark, Duterte said he was sorry if he offended anybody. "Sorry kung hindi nagustuhan nung iba," he said.

For Binay, the mayor's justification about using gutter language because he grew up speaking it was inexcusable.

"Even assuming that it was a joke, it’s a bad joke. Alam mo, ang sama-sama niyang namatay na nga, na-murder na, sasabihin niya pa 'ang ganda pala nito. Dapat ako ang naka-una as mayor.'"

The Vice President said he also found no logic in Duterte's choice of words even if he said he was enraged at the inmates responsible for Hamill's rape and killing.

"[A]ng sinasabi niya it was a statement dahil sa galit sa murderer. Ano naman ang relasyon noong gagahasain niya ‘yon doon sa galit niya sa murderer? Wala namang logic ‘yon. Kaya lang daw niya nasabi ‘yon dahil galit siya sa murderer. Paanong paglalabas ng galit ilalabas niya ‘yong kaniyang sexual perversion?" he asked.

With Duterte standing by his callous remarks in the video, Binay said it would not be far-fetched to assume that the mayor was also not sincere in apologizing to Pope Francis for cursing him during his visit to Manila last year.

"Apparently, hindi siya serious noong humingi siya ng apology kay Pope. Kasi do not ask him to repent 'for what I’ve done.' O, e bakit ka nag-repent kay Pope?" he said.

Binay warned those drawn to Duterte's appeal as an iron-fisted leader not to vote for him because the consequences might be dire for them and their families if he is elected as president.

"[A]lam mo naman ang iba humahanga pero dapat e makausap yun kasi dapat yung paghanga nila e maling i-convert yun para sa vote. Kasi yung vote, yung hanga, sa kanya lang yun," he said.

"Eto ngayon ay pagboto natin, kailangan ipinagmamalaki natin yung ating ibinoboto pero pagkanapatay yung anak mo e naiboto mo na si Duterte paano na ngayon? Di magsisisi kayo," Binay added. —Xianne Arcangel/KBK, GMA News