Palace defends Duterte treatment of women

President Duterte’s language is different from his policies, Malacañang said on Friday as it defended him from accusations of misogyny.

As the country marked women’s month, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque called on the public to judge Mr. Duterte based on his actions and programs for women and not on his remarks that had been slammed as insulting to or inciting abuse against women.

Mr. Duterte provoked outrage anew recently after he told soldiers to shoot female communist rebels in the vagina. He later explained that he made the statement out of his anger at the female insurgents who had left their children behind to fight government troops.

He has also been criticized for catcalling women and for his jokes about extramarital affairs.

Women’s welfare

According to Roque, Mr. Duterte has been spearheading programs to improve women’s welfare since his days as Davao City mayor.

“Davao City is a trailblazer in upholding the rights of women, so there is a distinction between his language and his policies,” the spokesperson said in a press briefing in Tarlac.

Davao City, he said, has been recognized for its “profeminist” programs, including the local version of the reproductive health program that provides family planning to indigent residents and a campaign to eliminate gender bias and address abuse against women and children.

As President, Mr. Duterte issued an executive order that would ensure couples’ access to family planning methods through the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, he said.

He also pointed to Mr. Duterte’s ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait where they, especially the women, were prone to abuse.