Palace on Duterte rape remark: It’s a joke, don’t give too much weight on it

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC

The remarks of President Rodrigo Duterte that the Davao City has the highest number of rape cases in the country because it has many beautiful women must not be taken seriously, Malacanang said Friday.

“I don’t think we should give too much weight on what the President says by way of a joke,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.

Duterte again earned the ire of opposition lawmakers and some human rights groups for his latest rape remarks.

READ: Solons criticize Duterte’s ‘maraming maganda, maraming rape’ remark

But Roque said it was just another humor from the President.

“Some may not approve but you know, I can tell you this already. There’s a difference between a sense of humor in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.

The Palace official said people in the south, particularly in Cebu and the Visayas, “don’t really take things as serious as people in Luzon.”

“They’re not okay with rape jokes, but let’s just say that perhaps there’s a standard of what is offensive and what is not offensive is more liberal in the south,” he said.

Asked about criticisms that the latest remarks of the President were putting his standards “way too low,” Roque said, “I don’t think so. I think the President is mature enough to know to what extent he can go and he thinks that it is not putting it too low.” /jpv