'Rape Joke' too sick even for Duterte’s standards, group says

President Rodrigo Duterte.

AKBAYAN President Machris Cabreros condemned the latest horrendous remark of President Rodrigo Duterte making light of rape in front of government troops.
While the President and his allies might defend his statements as an attempt at levity, Cabreros said rape can never be considered as a joke especially when rape, as he has illustrated with his depraved humor, is utilized as an implement of war.

She said such utterances should never be normalized and countenanced, whether in the private or public spheres.

She said the statement of President Duertete, while intended to elicit laughter from similarly degenerate minds among those in the audience, serve to goad government troops to commit a war crime. As a son of Mindanao and a son of a Marcos critic, he should be aware of the numerous atrocities that the Marcos military committed against many Mindanaoan women.

"But it seems, we cannot expect Mr. Duterte to desist from making those remarks on the grounds that as the highest official of the country he is sworn to protect the human rights of every citizen, said Cabreros.

She said President Duterte has practically spat on the idea of human rights, threatened human rights defenders, and has defended law enforcement officials who have violated human rights.

As the first Mindanaoan president, Cabreros said President Duterte should be more prudent in his choice of words when addressing our troops currently deployed to fight terrorism under the auspices of martial law in Mindanao.

She said: "We don’t presume Duterte respects women. But even he and his allies should admit that goading our troops to rape as a punchline for a joke, is too sick even for him."