Duterte uses Lewinsky to lash at Chelsea

Manila, May 31: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday denounced the daughter of former US President Bill Clinton for criticising him over a joke about rape, and questioned whether she was just as outraged by her father’s affair with a White House intern.

Mr Duterte was incensed by Chelsea Clinton tweeting at the weekend that he was a “murderous thug with no regard for human rights”.

Mr Duterte’s rape remark came during a speech on Friday aimed at reassuring soldiers that he would take full responsibility for any backlash to martial law, which he imposed on Mindanao island. He said he would not tolerate abuses but joked if any soldier was to rape three women, “I will admit it, that’s on me”.

The leader is notorious for comments deemed offensive by some, but taken lightly by many Filipinos.

Referring to Bill Clinton’s involvement with intern Monica Lewinsky in the 1990s, he hit back at Chelsea Clinton and said he was speaking sarcastically about rape. “I was not joking, I was being sarcastic,” Mr Duterte said in a speech to Navy officers. “I will tell her, when your father, the President of the United States, was with Lewinsky... the girl there in White House, how did you feel? Did you slam your father?”

I will tell her, when your father, the President of the United States, was with Lewinsky... how did you feel? Did you slam your father?

— Rodrigo Duterte, Philippines Prez Duterte is a murderous thug with no regard for human rights. It’s important to keep pointing that out and that rape is never a joke — Chelsea Clinton, Bill Clinton’s daughter