Finally, a formal apology from Rody

Aussie envoy told: Shut up

With public outrage mounting, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has formally apologized “to the Filipino people” for his comments on rape, promising a clean government despite his “dirty mouth.”

His camp yesterday issued the statement of apology before Duterte held a forum at the Iloilo City campus of the University of the Philippines-Visayas and a grand rally at La Paz public plaza.

“I apologize to the Filipino people for my recent remarks in a rally. There was no intention of disrespecting our women and those who have been victims of this horrible crime. Sometimes my mouth can get the better of me,” Duterte said.

“However, I will not apologize for the things I’ve done to protect our people, especially the weak and defenseless, from crime. I know what it can do to the victims and their families. The anguish and pain they cause. The trauma that can’t be erased. I have witnessed these myself numerous times,” he added.

Duterte and his brother reportedly killed at least four of the inmates who had held an Australian lay missionary hostage at the Davao prison in 1989.

An unapologetic Duterte told Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorley yesterday to “shut up” and consider that the rape victim had received “instant justice.”

“This is why I am angry. I am angry because horrendous things like this continue to happen to our women and

children all over our land. And sadly, government has failed to protect them,” Duterte said in the statement.

The presidential front-runner, standard bearer of the Partidong Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban), also admitted that he is “a man of many flaws and contradictions” but he can be an efficient leader.

He asked the Filipino people to give him a chance to be their leader.

“In spite of my dirty mouth, I’ll give you a clean government,” he said.

“If you will give me the chance to lead this country, I promise to all of you that I will protect our women, children and families from the horrors and disorder of crime. I will do this even if I lose my life, my honor and even the presidency,” he added.

In a video posted on YouTube, Duterte was on stage speaking about an Australian woman who was raped and killed in a hostage incident in a Davao prison in 1989. “Napakaganda, dapat ang mayor ang mauna (Very beautiful, the mayor should be the first),” Duterte said.

Duterte to Aussie envoy: Shut up

Ambassador Gorely criticized Duterte, saying “rape and murder should never be joked about or trivialized” and “violence against women and girls is unacceptable anytime, anywhere.” Duterte told the ambassador to shut up. “Don’t talk to me about fairness. You Australians, if you can’t be fair to my countrymen, shut up. What is your problem?” he said in the forum at UP Visayas yesterday.

“Your missionary was defiled and raped. What did I give you? Instant justice. They are dead, all 16 of them. You still don’t like that?” he said, referring to the prisoners involved in the slay of the Australian missionary.

“I don’t need you to lecture me. You listen to me,” he added.

Duterte’s supporters hit bishops

Officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have also condemned Duterte’s rape joke.

But the mayor’s supporters took to social media to air their sentiments against the CBCP and come to his defense.

“Those who are pretending to be saints are more devilish in real life. Compare this to Duterte who is sincerely serving people without any trace of corruption and plunder of public fund,” Facebook user Raul Oshiro noted in a post.

Another Facebook user called the Catholic bishops “hypocrites.”

“The bishops should first judge themselves and their own ranks. Anyway, those involved are Catholics. It means the Catholic Church failed to teach what is right,” another Facebook user said.

Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña called on the mayor’s supporters to “respect everyone’s opinion,” especially those of the elders and members of the clergy.

Duterte slams Roxas, Binay anew

A few days after he drew flak for his rape comment, Duterte spewed profanity and slammed anew presidential candidates Manuel Roxas II of the Liberal Party (LP) and Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance.

“I don’t understand Mar. He got angry with me because I ran (for president),” Duterte said in a rally in Bacolod City on Monday night attended by 10,000 supporters.

Duterte also hit the envelope allegedly distributed during an LP rally.

He claimed that the people in Samar were told that they would have a million pesos if they would vote for the administration’s president bet down to the last senatorial candidate.

“Isn’t it like lotto? Do you think he will spend that big?” Duterte said. “Boto ng Pilipino, ginawang lotto. Anak ng, p***** *** mo” (the vote of the Filipino people was made a lottery. Son of a ****). “Ikaw na taga rito, hindi ka na nahiya sa

kababayan mo (you are from here, but you are not ashamed). He proclaims to be clean,” he added.

Negros Occidental is considered “Mar country” since Roxas’ mother Judy Araneta- Roxas is from Bago City, the neighboring city of Bacolod.

He also chided Roxas for distributing farm implements at the time of El Niño, when the soil is already cracking and dry.

“I can’t understand Mar… Why wait for elections? They should have given that in December, just in time for El Niño,” Duterte said.

Duterte said the next president should solve this problem because “if the dry spell would continue to last in the next four to six months, then we are in serious trouble.”

The next president should see to it that there is food available and it should be affordable.

Duterte also lambasted Binay for being corrupt and for saying that he is the “pambansang berdugo” or national executioner.

“Nandiyan ang kandidato na nagsabi ako ay berdugo ng kriminal. Tama ka Binay. Ikaw naman ang berdugo ng kaban ng bayan (There is a candidate who said that I am an executioner of criminals. You are right, Binay. But you are the executioner of the nation’s coffers),” Duterte said, drawing a loud cheer from the crowd.

Duterte explained that he came to Negros Occidental to present his plans, but he would not force the Negrenses to vote for him.

“Next month, choose the leader you want,” he added.

Duterte gov’t to prioritize Mindanao

Duterte’s camp also promised to prioritize the economic growth and social development of Mindanao if he is elected president.

PDP-Laban president Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said yesterday that Duterte would see to it that Mindanao gets a fair share of the national income, so that it can devote more resources to economic development.

The senator noted that in the P3-trillion national budget for 2016, Mindanao gets only 14 percent, compared to 33 percent for Metro Manila and nine percent for the Visayas.

This, he said, reflects the lopsided distribution of national resources that partly explains the persistence of poverty in Mindanao.

Among the features of the economic platform of Duterte and his runningmate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is to establish more growth centers across the country to create jobs. They will also set up a P1billion small capital fund per region to encourage entrepreneurship.

To boost regional development, Duterte will also move national departments outside the National Capital Region, with the Department of Agriculture to be transferred to Mindanao.

A six-phase railway system straddling the whole of Mindanao and covering approximately 2,000 kilometers will also be established at a total cost of P78 billion.

To allow residents in the Visayas and Mindanao to access modern health care, Duterte will establish specialized hospitals for heart, lung, and kidney ailments in two island groups.