Duterte: Women competent but cowed by threats

FOLLOWING the criticisms hurled against him over his supposedly misogynistic behavior, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, May 24, attempted to appease his critics by saying he believes women are competent and capable, but could not endure threats and intimidation.

He said women should understand that unlike men, they could not endure "threats and intimidation" from all walks of life.

"Unlike men, we get used to fist fight, scrimmage, and shooting incident. We're trained when we were little, and we grew up with a sort of a mindset that we're sometimes prone to violence," the President said in a speech delivered in Davao City.

"But the women are prim and proper. (I believe in women) but it must not be applicable to all walks of life. It should not be. It's not appropriate," he added.

Duterte made the remark after women activists launched a social media campaign using hashtag Babae Ako (#BabaeAko) to lash out at his alleged derogatory remarks against women.

"It's not that I'm not amazed (by women). I believe in women, in one's competence and capability," the President said.

The Chief Executive once again earned the ire of women activists over his controversial remark that he would not appoint a "woman" to the Ombudsman or the Supreme Court.

Women activists, including former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, called on women to "fight back" against Duterte who seemed to have ingrained prejudice against women.

On Wednesday, May 23, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go came to Duterte's defense, saying the President's style of self-expression "has always been taken out of context."

He added that contrary to what others believed, Duterte has "high respect for women."

"To say that President Duterte is not prowomen and looks down on women is truly unfair. These allegations are clearly political," Go said. (SunStar Philippines)