Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has sparked criticism for kissing a woman on the lips on stage at an event in Seoul, South Korea on Sunday. The controversial leader was on a three-day visit when he addressed the Filipino community in the northern neighbour.
The Telegraph reports that Duterte said he would give a copy of a book – Altar of Secrets: Sex, Politics and Money in the Philippine Catholic Church – in exchange for a kiss. The President has often shown the book to mock the Catholic Church.
Two women came up on stage visibly excited, one of whom gave him a peck on the cheek. But the President gestured to the other indicating that he wanted a kiss on the lips. Filipino news agencies said Duterte could be heard asking: “Are you single? You’re not separated from him? But you can tell him that this is just a joke?”
The audience cheered with chants of ‘Duterte! Duterte’ but the reaction was otherwise one of outrage with many taking to twitter to denounce the president of “misogyny” and “hypocrisy”.
Filipino women’s rights organisation Gabriela accused Duterte of “repeated acts of machismo” and condemned his “disgusting theatrics of a misogynist.”
Duterte has a history of criticism due to sexist, inappropriate, and purely crass statements including lamenting not going first in the horrific 1989 gang-rape of Australian missionary Jacqueline Hamill, who later died as a hostage.
The president’s spokespersons played down the incident in Seoul and said Duterte’r reforms show he is committed to women’s rights.
Dispatch based on reports from BBC, Telegraph, Rappler
